Hidden Treasure
by SEALteamsteve
Summary: A robbery at Gabby's museum leads Five-0 on an underwater search for hidden treasure. The search leads to disaster. Can Danny get to his partner and best friend before it's too late ?
1. Chapter 1

******** Many thanks to fellow reader SHIRIK for providing the idea and layout for this story! I hope to do it proud for you! ********

Steve took the call from Kono just as he and Danny had pulled back into traffic after interviewing a robbery suspect at HPD headquarters.  
Danny watched his partner and became alarmed as he noted Steve glance towards him as he stated, "Is anyone hurt?...Okay, thanks Kono we're on our way"

"What?"  
"Everything is fine Danny"  
"Steven, WHAT?"  
"It's Gabby…but she's fine! She's not hurt"  
"OKAY, good she's not hurt….now what in the hell happened?"  
"There was a heist at the museum. Five armed men accosted her as she arrived to open the museum an hour ago"  
"_Accosted her_? Steve…IS she alright?"  
"Relax partner, Kono said she's not hurt but she is shook up. Danny you have to stay calm"  
Danny sighed deeply, "I'm fine…..I'm fine, just get us there please"

The tension in the car was evident as Steve floored the accelerator racing towards the museum.

A few minutes later the two detectives were racing through the front doors of the museum. Gabby was seated on a bench outside of the manager's office and the men spotted her instantly.  
"GABBY!" Danny moved swiftly to her side. She stood as he approached and in moments he was holding his sobbing girlfriend in his arms.

"Danny….."  
"Shhhh ssshhhhh….it's over honey, I've got you"  
"Danny, I was so scared"  
"I know" He stroked her hair and kissed her head gently over and over trying to calm her, "It's okay baby, ssshhhhhh"

Steve stood off to the side talking to Duke Lukela as he kept an eye on Danny and Gabby.

After a couple of minutes passed Danny pulled Gabby away holding her face in his hands, "Gabby, honey are you hurt anywhere?"  
"No…..no….they didn't hurt me Danny"  
"That's all that matters sweetheart. Come on and sit down" He guided her back to the bench, sitting next to her.

Steve walked over, kneeling in front of them. He reached and took hold of her hand, "Gabby, I'm so glad you're okay. We need to ask you some questions"  
"Steve we need to give her a minute"  
"Danny, the sooner we…."  
Danny interrupted him, repeating himself "STEVE, we need to give her a minute!"

Steve saw the concern in his partner's eyes and knew he had to back-off. He patted Gabby's hand as he stood, "Gabby, let me know when you're ready"  
She nodded to him as he walked away heading back to Duke.

"She's not ready to talk yet Duke. So she told you that there were five men and they all wore ski masks?"  
"Yes. She couldn't identify any of them"  
"What did they take?"  
"A large amount of gold and jewels the museum had purchased from a salvage company. They were from a sunken ship that went down in the 1930's. The wreck was discovered by an upstart salvage company in 2010 and they sold everything to the museum for six million dollars"

"What was the estimated value of the find?"  
"A little over nine million. What are you thinking Steve?"  
"Nothing…nothing…..just trying to get all the details. We'll take Ms. Asano with us Duke. Can you let me know if you find anything of interest here?"  
"Will do Steve"

Steve then moved back to Danny and Gabby and he noted she had calmed down quite a bit at this point.  
"HPD is going to handle the scene here. Gabby can you come with us and we'll take you to Hawaiian General to get you checked over. Then we'll take you to 5-0 headquarters with us"

Gabby looked at the men "I don't need to go to the hospital, I'm fine…..really I am"  
Danny smiled at her "I know you're fine honey but I'll feel much better if you just get checked out. I'll go with you"  
Steve added "Besides Gabby, its procedure"  
Gabby chuckled softly bringing laughter from Danny and a puzzled, "What?" from Steve.

Danny looked at his partner "I love you partner, but 'Steve McGarrett and procedure' are words that really don't go together"  
A slight smile crossed Commander McGarrett's face as he looked at the grinning woman, "Gabby, what has he been telling you?"  
The two stood and Steve embraced Gabby, "I'm so relieved that you weren't hurt Gabby. We'll get to the bottom of this, I promise"  
She softly stated, "Thank you both"

**5050505050505050505050505050**

When they arrived at the hospital they were escorted to a room and Steve remained in the hallway allowing Danny to comfort Gabby while they waited for the Doctor. He called Kono giving her the limited details he had.

"So what do you think boss?"  
"I need you to check out the salvage company that discovered the wreckage and make sure you check if they hired any additional free-lance divers. They collected six million from the museum for a haul that was worth over nine million. Maybe somebody thinks they didn't get enough….."

"How's Gabby?"  
"We're waiting for the Doctor but other than some minor bruising I think she going to be okay. We'll be in as soon as we wrap things up here"

"Okay boss, I'm on it"  
"Thank you Kono"

A few minutes later the Doctor arrived and Danny joined his partner in the hall.  
Steve squeezed Danny's shoulder, "How's she holding up?"  
"Good, she's going to be fine. She's just a little shook up"  
Steve filled Danny in on the research he had Kono working on.  
"Can she give us anything Danny?"  
"Not much, they all wore ski masks. All five were men, three white, the other two Hawaiian. She did hear one name, Paul. He was one of the white men, about six feet tall...175 lbs. She did notice that the other two white men had tattoos on their forearms so I figure Kono could try to help her re-create that for us"  
"Yeah, that could be a good break for us"

Danny inquired, "Have we heard anything from Duke yet? Did they find anything?"  
"No, not yet"  
They stopped as the Doctor came out letting them know that Gabby was fine and would be out after she dressed. The men thanked the Doctor and then once Gabby joined them, they made their way back to 5-0 headquarters.

As they entered the offices Chin approached them, "Steve I just got off the phone with Duke. They haven't found much but they did find one interesting piece of evidence. On the floor entering the vault there was a small piece of algae"  
"Really...okay let's think this through. Kono do you have a list of the divers yet?"  
"Yeah boss. There were four divers. Mark Hillman, Joseph McKnight, George Kaneko and Rick Dressler. Dressler was killed two months ago in a house fire but the other three are still employed by the salvage company Alles Salvage. There were no divers from what I can tell"

Gabby then added, "Curtis Alles is the owner of the company, he received the payout from the museum. I'll have to check my records but if I remember right, Rick Dressler was a co-owner of the company and was Alles brother-in-law"

Steve looked at the others, "So we need to interview Alles and the divers. Maybe the divers feel they were screwed on the sale and they're reclaiming what they feel is their rightful take"

Chin added, "That would explain the algae"  
Danny looked at him quizzically, "Why?"  
"Just the fact that diver's would be more apt to have algae on their shoes and clothing"

Steve looked to Danny, "If you want to take off for the day, we can handle things here"  
Gabby jumped in, "Don't be silly, I'm just fine. If you can drop me off at the museum, I have a lot of work to do there"  
Steve added, "How about if Kono takes you back and she can check out the scene. The three of us can handle the interviews"

As they prepared to leave Danny pulled Gabby off to the side, "Are you sure you want to go back to work today?"  
"I was shook up a bit, but I'm fine Danny, really I am. I need to get back there and inventory everything"  
"If you're sure. Call me if you need me for anything okay, I love you"  
"I love you too Danny. You be careful"  
"I'll be fine, I promise. I'll talk to you later"  
He kissed her gently and then she stayed with Kono as the men left heading to Alles Salvage.


	2. Chapter 2

The detectives were led into a conference room to meet with Mr. Alles. After introductions, Steve got right down to business, explaining the morning's heist and asked about the where abouts of the three divers.

"They're off today. They aren't scheduled to dive again until next Tuesday. You think my boys were involved in this museum heist?"

Steve answered firmly, "We don't know Sir. We need to talk to them though can you give us their addresses?"  
Once he had the information Steve added, "Mr. Alles, can you tell me how much the divers were each paid on that recovery mission?"

"They were paid their regular salary plus a 2% finder's fee. The finder's fee is based off what I received for the sale so each man received a 120,000.00 bonus"  
"You've been very helpful Sir, thank you" Steve shook his hand and the detectives made their way back to the Steve's truck.

Danny spoke first, "So this guy makes 6 mil and gives the divers 120 grand each...that wound be enough to piss them off"

"That's alot of money bro!"  
Steve then added, "It's not alot when the boss is taking home more than 5 and half million Chin"  
"Yeah, I guess you're right but I'd sure be happy with 120 g's"

Danny laughed, "Me too brother, we're in the wrong line of work!"  
Steve quickly added, "Chin, Danno don't swim!"  
The all chuckled as they headed towards the homes of the divers. They found no one home at the Hillman or Kaneko residences and a woman identifying herself as 'Mrs. Joseph McKnight' informed them that the three men had left her home at 8:30 that morning stating they were going to work and that they would be on a salvage rig for the next several days.

Once back in the vehicle Chin asked, "What's our next move boss?"  
"Call HPD and have them post an unmarked squad at each address just in case they return. Also get APB's out for their arrests. I'll have Kono try to put a trace out on their cell phones. According to Mr. Alles, McKnight is the only one of the three with a family so the odds are we won't find anything here. But I'll get search warrants for all three homes"

Danny leaned forward from the back seat, "We may not have to go through all that trouble babe, looks like Mrs. McKnight has some company"

Steve looked up, "Well I'll be damned"  
The three agents exited the truck guns drawn, moving swiftly towards the black SUV that had just pulled up into the McKnight driveway. A short, thin white man with curly dark hair stepped from the SUV just as McGarrett was hollering, "FIVE-0, FREEZE!"

McKnight turned towards the men as Steve continued to holler, "HANDS IN THE AIR NOW MCKNIGHT!"  
The man nervously raised his hands as he continued to turn. As the others kept their guns trained on him, Chin moved to the startled man, pushing him to his knees and cuffing him.

As they moved towards Steve's truck Danny looked back to see Mrs. McKnight watching her husband in disbelief as she stood on the front door step holding a little girl of about eighteen months old as two young boys clung to her legs.

Steve quickly checked the SUV but there was nothing inside that would help with the case. He had taken McKnight's cellphone and car keys from McKnight's pocket and given them to Danny. Steve locked the vehicle and then moving to Mrs. McKnight he simply told her that Joseph was only being taken in for questioning and that he would be able to call her soon. He then moved to his truck leaving the poor woman with no answers as he drove away from the home.

**50505050505050505050505050**

They attempted to get McKnight to tell them where the others were during the short commute back to headquarters, but he remained silent.

Once they had him in the interrogation room Steve and Danny entered while Chin went to contact Kono and to start a trace on the cell phone.

McGarrett leaned forward, placing his open palms onto the table. "So Joseph, was it worth it? Armed robbery means you're facing a life sentence away from your wife and kids. Cute kids too. Your boys are what, six and four? What do you think they're going to remember about their Daddy huh? Do you think they'll remember the good times? Kicking a ball around, rough-housing, playing cops and robbers? No...no those little boys are going to remember one thing...watching their Daddy being taking away in handcuffs. They're going to remember being scared and watching their Mommy cry. And you're daughter, she's so young she won't even remember you"

Danny chimed in, "She's the lucky one Joseph. She won't even remember you. I have a daughter and I tell you what if she didn't remember me...that would kill me man"

"Danny, go get Joe..." he turned back to McKnight, "Can I call you Joe?" Getting no response he turned back to Danny, "Danny, go grab Joe a bottle of water, would you please?"

Danny left the room returning a couple of minutes later to find Steve quietly pacing the floor and McKnight looking down at his folded hands, cuffed in front of him.  
The blonde detective opened the water bottle and set it next to his hands. McKnight responded, "Thank You" He then took a long drink of water and Steve noticed that the man's hands were shaking…..a good sign!

Steve stayed quiet for several minutes letting McKnight sweat a bit more before talking, "Okay Joe, I'm offering you a deal and I'm giving you ten minutes to decide. You tell me who the other two men are and where to find Hillman and Kaneko and you lead us to the gold and jewels. In return I'll see to it that you serve minimal time in prison. You WILL get another chance to be the father that those children deserve"

"You don't have that power McGarrett"  
"I answer to God and the Governor of Hawaii. The Governor has given me the power"  
"I want it in writing"  
"Fine. I'll be back in ten minutes"

Steve and Danny left the interrogation room and Danny instantly began questioning him, "What are you doing Steve? You're going to cut a deal with him?" His voice was rising with frustration.

Steve grabbed the front of Danny's shirt and pulled him towards his office. "Hey, hey stop….come here Danny"  
Steve closed the door behind him as they entered the office, "Danno, sit down"  
"No…..no Steve….I can't believe you're considering letting this guy walk"  
Steve held up his hand stopping him, "I never said he was going to walk"  
"Okay so what do you mean?"  
"Give me a minute, stay right here"

Steve left the office to talk to Chin and returned a few minutes later, "Danno, come on….sit for me"  
Danny's steely blue eyes connected with Steve's as the men sat facing each other from across the desk, "Tell me partner….explain it to me"

Steve sighed deeply, "We know there are five men involved in this. We have one sitting fifty feet away. I just checked with Chin, McKnight is thirty seven years old and he has NO RECORD Danny, not even a misdemeanor"

"YEAH, WELL I DON'T GIVE A DAMN! He's graduated to armed robbery and he held a gun to Gabby!"  
"I know that and I'm asking you to have the strength to look past that and to trust me. It's the right thing to do, Danno…it's the ONLY thing to do…"  
Danny began to interrupt him and Steve lifted his hand, "DANNY PLEASE…..please, listen to me…."  
Danny threw his hands up into the air, "Fine…fine….whatever you say boss"

The sarcasm in Danny's voice cut through Steve's heart, "Danny, we're partners"  
"No Steven, you're the boss…partner's listen to each other and respect each other"

"You don't think I respect you?" The hurt in Steve's voice was apparent and after a brief pause he continued "I tell you what, we can talk about this later. Right now we have to take care of this situation and whether you want to hear it or not you're not thinking as a detective right now, you're not thinking with you head"

"Oh yeah, so you're pulling your Sigmund Freud crap on me again"  
"Danny, you're thinking with your heart not your head that's all. You love Gabby and I understand that"  
"You say you understand? Fine...do what you've got to do Steve"  
Danny pushed back his chair and stormed out of the office slamming the door behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve was writing up the agreement for McKnight when Chin entered.  
Standing with his hand on the doorframe he waited for Steve to look up.  
"What Chin?"  
"Do I have to ask? What in the hell was that all about?"  
"Danny's pissed off at me that's what it's about. Now we've got work to do, we have to stay focused"  
"Can I ask what he's pissed off about?"

Steve stood from his chair but remained behind his desk "Chin...he's angry because I'm offering a deal to McKnight so we can find the stolen property and bring in the others"  
"And he's upset because of Gabby's involvement?"

"Yes, YES Chin and I understand, but he's not thinking this through! These guys have stolen 9 million dollars worth of gold and jewels. We don't even have the identity of two of them. We have to find them before they catch a plane and disappear for good. McKnight is the best shot we've got at that"  
Steve's body language exuded the tension he felt as Chin tried to calm him down.

"Steve listen to me, you're right. You're right and you know it. Let's do what's got to be done and I promise you that Danny will come around. He's just too emotional right now. Take a deep breath and let me know when you're ready okay?" Chin turned then added before leaving, "HPD has the airport covered now Steve"

Steve nodded, "Thanks Chin" he then sat back down and after taking a second to compose himself he resumed writing the agreement.

Danny had left the office and went out to his car, _'Damn it there were times when he absolutely hated McGarrett' _He leaned against his car taking a couple of minutes to calm down before he dialed Gabby.

"Hello?"  
"Hi sweetheart, how are you feeling?"  
"I'm fine Danny. Please don't worry about me. Have you found anything yet?"  
"We have one of the men in custody. Steve's trying to get him to talk now. Do you think you'll be up for dinner tonight?"  
"What were you thinking of?"  
"I don't know, some Italian maybe?"  
"Will you throw in a nice bottle of wine?"  
"Honey you can have anything you want"  
"Ohh, that sounds very appealing"  
"Okay, you've convinced me...you're doing fine. I'm so looking forward to tonight"  
"For dinner... or after?"  
He grinned broadly "I guarantee if you feel up to skipping dinner...I won't complain"  
"I love you Danny"  
"I love you too. I'll check in later"  
"Be careful love"  
"Always"

**5050505050505050505050505050**

As Steve and Chin re-entered the interrogation room, McKnight looked up to face them.

Steve set the agreement in front of him and started to talk, "Joe this is the way it's going to go down. You will tell me the identities of the two men involved in the heist that we don't know. You will tell us where we can find the four men. You will tell us if there is anyone else involved that we are unaware of. You will tell us where we can find the gold and jewels. If you FULLY cooperate to each of these terms as the are written in the agreement I will see to it that you serve no more than ten years in a minimum security prison of your choosing. You will be eligible for early release due to good behavior after seven years served. You WILL serve no less than seven years. If you break any of these terms, this agreement is null and void. Do you understand me?"

"Seven years...that's a long time"  
"It's a hell of a of a lot better than life and it's the best you're going to get. You committed an armed robbery Joe and you need to pay for that. I promise if you DON'T cooperate and go to trial on this, the BEST you're going to get is 25 years. So what's it going to be?"

Chin then added, "This is a no brainer McKnight. He's giving you a second chance at life. You'd be a fool not to take it"

Joe looked at both men before stating, "Give me a pen"  
McKnight signed the agreement and Steve sat down across from him to begin the questioning. Danny re-entered the room and Chin left to resume the cell phone tracking.

Steve shot a quick glance Danny's way and then turned back to McKnight.  
"Okay, start talking"

"I was approached two months ago by George Kaneko. He told me of his plan to steal the gold and jewels. He already had Hillman and Hillman's cousin working with him. I initially turned them down and then two weeks later my oldest son was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. I don't have health insurance...this illness is going to destroy my family financially. George had found out how much Alles had profited from the our dive and it didn't take much for us to see that we got screwed. WE did the work, not Alles! He sat his fat, lazy ass on the boat, sipping whiskey while we brought everything up. And we did our job in good faith. We didn't take anything, not a single fucking coin. We turned it all over to him. We trusted him. He told us he had made 3 million on the sale to the museum and he made 6 million! So, yeah we figured we'd take what was rightfully ours. George had brought his kid brother in, so with me we had the five we needed. Our plan was to leave town immediately and fly overseas to sell everything. Even if we made 6 million, that's 1.2 million each. I could at least get my boy the medical attention he needs. This morning though we decided to go with our alternate plan. As of this morning George had been insistant on fleeing Hawaii today but we were able to convince him that all the attention for the heist would then naturally fall on us. So we're hiding the stash in an underwater cave three miles out to sea. The plan is to wait for three months and then disappear after the case cools down. That's why I headed home, to get my diving gear. We're all supposed to meet at the boat at two o'clock"

Steve looked at his watch, noting it was 12:30 "Okay Joe...so there are no other men involved in this other than the five of you?"  
"As far as I know, it's just us"  
"What are the other's names?"  
"Paul Hillman and Kipp Kaneko"  
Steve scribbled the names down. "And all five of you are going out on the boat?"  
"Yes"

Steve looked at his partner who was leaning against the cement wall, arms folded across his chest defiantly, "Danno, can you call Kono and give her Joe's address. Have her meet us there"  
"Sure thing boss"  
Steve bristled slightly at his partners' choice of words and then turned back to McKnight.

"Joe, you're going to meet with your men as planned and you're going to be wearing a tracking device. We will follow shortly behind you and take everyone down"

"Okay, I'll do whatever you ask. I need to see my family again. I'm so sorry"  
"You can make this right Joe. I'm very sorry about your son. I'll see what can be done to help him"  
"Thank you"  
Steve left the room to fill the others in on his plan and to get the tracking equipment together. He then called the Governor who agreed to have a boat waiting for them at the docks. They would follow Joe at a safe distance to the Marina.


	4. Chapter 4

Soon they were all pulling up behind Kono's vehicle at the McKnight's.  
Steve had Chin go inside with Joe and once they had entered the house he had Danny place a tracking device on the underbelly of Joe's SUV. Steve then stood at Kono's truck filling her in on the details.

Danny had returned and he was leaning up against the front of her truck.  
She called to him through the open window, "Danny, what's wrong with you? You're awfully quiet bro? Are you worried about getting wet?" She grinned his way and in very untypical Danny Williams fashion he raised a hand waving her off and he then turned and sulked back to Steve's truck.

She turned to Steve, "What's up with him?"  
"He's pissed off at me sweetheart, please don't let him get to you"  
"Why, what did you do?"  
"I cut a deal with McKnight for information"  
"Yeah, so what? How would we have found them otherwise?"  
"I'm sure we would have found them but I didn't want to give them any time to get out of the country with a 9 million dollar heist"

"What doesn't he get about that?"  
"It's not that he doesn't get it...he just doesn't like it. Because they terrified Gabby"  
"Oh, I get it. So he's pretty serious about her huh?"  
"Obviously more than I knew"  
"He'll come around boss"  
Remembering Danny's use the the word earlier he sarcastically stated, "Don't call me that today 'k..."  
She chuckled and rubbed his forearm as he leaned against the truck door, "He'll come around Steve"

He then gave her the names of the other four offenders and had her run a quick computer search on them.  
"The only one with a record is Kipp Koneko. Looks like he served five years for robbery and assault and was released six months ago"  
Steve sighed, "Great..."

Moments later, Chin and McKnight exited the house and the four detectives followed him at a safe distance in the blue Silverado.

Once at the Marina, Kono followed the tracking device on her laptop as Danny followed McKnight through binoculars. Steve and Chin grabbed their gear from the truck and got onto the boat to prep it.  
Once they were ready to take off Steve hollered to Danny, "Are you seeing any movement over there Danno?"

"No, they're about 200 feet away. I can see all five are on board and they're changing into their diving gear"  
"Do you see the jewels?"  
"Yeah, it looks like seven or eight small fireproof safes. Hey….hey, looks like they're ready to take off"  
Steve took the cue and fired up the boat as Chin and Kono began getting into their wetsuits.  
Steve fell in a good distance behind McKnight's boat. They had the tracking device attached to Joe's side, near his armpit under his t-shirt sleeve. They had placed it there in hopes that the slight bulge would not be detected through the tight wetsuit. If it was noticed they had instructed Joe to play it cool and state that his t-shirt was just bunched up.

Kono let Steve know when McKnight's boat had stopped and he killed the engine. He stepped to the middle of the boat to put his gear on, talking to the others as he changed.  
"We'll give them a few minutes, make sure they're in the water and then we'll move in slowly. Danny, the three of us will go under and I need you to monitor up top. I'm not sure what we'll find down there or if they'll be armed. If someone gets back to the boat you do whatever it takes to detain them"

Danny snipped back, "I know my job Steven" bringing an unexpectedly angry retort from Kono, "DANNY, that's enough! You're acting like a child"

Steve held out his hand to his team, "Kono, it's fine...let's concentrate and get the job done now alright"  
Danny had taken a seat and was mindlessly staring at the steady blinking red dot.

At the site of the caves four of the five robbers were ready to enter the water. Joe looked over at the others noting that Paul Hillman was lagging behind. He called out to him, "Aren't you coming down Paul?"  
George Kaneko answered back, "Paul's staying up top as a look out"  
Joe shrugged his shoulders, "Okay…..let's do this huh"  
Joe then watched as Kipp threw a fishing spear over his shoulder, "What do you need that for?"  
George looked at Joe, "What's with all the questions McKnight?"  
"No reason George"  
George added, "For your information, there are sharks down there….a spear may come in handy"  
Joe nodded, hoping that the 5-0 team would be prepared for what was to come.  
There were actually eight safes filled with gold coins and jewels and each man held two as they dropped over the edge of the boat into the water.

Back on the 5-0 boat Danny called out, "They're in the water Steve"

Steve moved back to the front of the boat and firing it up they moved ahead unaware of the dangers they would soon face on the Ocean's floor.

******* Sorry for the short chapter but it was a good place to leave off…More to Follow..….Please let me know what you think ! *******


	5. Chapter 5

********* I have never been scuba diving and have no specific knowledge of the activity; I am writing this chapter as generically as possible and I hope it is written well enough for you to "see" the overall picture through my words *************

As McKight's boat came into view Danny was looking through the binoculars and he turned back to Steve,  
"Steve, there's still one man on the boat"  
"Shit…is it Joe?"  
"No….this guy's bigger, weighs about 250"  
"Okay…..listen up, here's what we're going to do…."

****************************************************  
Steve quickly laid out the plan and Danny took over at the wheel. Steve then sat on the bench with Chin and Kono standing in front of him blocking the robber's view of him as they neared his boat. Once the boats were a couple of hundred feet apart Danny slowed and with no words spoken, Steve slipped over the edge. Under his breathe Danny whispered, "Good luck AquaMan"

Danny kept up the slower pace as he neared the boat. Steve's plan was to swim underwater coming up from behind the man as the other's distracted him.  
Chin hollered out to Hillman, "ALOHA BROTHER! How are you today?"  
Hillman answered back trying to remain calm, "Aloha. What can I do for you?"  
Danny then spoke, "My friends here wanted to dive. I heard there were some underwater caves in this area, do you know where they're located?"

"I don't know anything about caves. My friends are spear fishing here"  
Danny noticed Steve's hands come into view behind Hillman as the SEAL was stealthfully making his way onto the boat via the ladder.  
Stalling for time and to keep the man's attention, Chin called out, "Spear fishing! That sounds awesome. We'll need to try that too. Danny I thought you had a map about these caves?"

That was all the time that the SEAL needed and in seconds he had the larger man in a choke hold. Steve easily overpowered the out of shape man and he dropped to his knees in moments. Danny then threw him a rope and the men tied the boats together. They worked efficiently and after Danny jumped into the robber's boat the men handcuffed Hillman to the bench seat and Steve looked at the others, "You ready?"  
Danny called to him, "Steve, he might have just been blowing smoke but he said they were spear fishing down there. Be careful, they could have weapons"  
"We'll be careful…you too okay?"  
Danny didn't respond, simply turning away from his partner.  
Steve looked over to Chin and Kono and after giving them a nod and grin he said, "Let's go"

The three put on their masks and after making sure the oxygen was flowing properly they all entered the water.

**5050505050505050505050505050**

On the Ocean floor the robbers had split up with the understanding that they would each hide their two safes. By doing this they had decided it would keep them honest. They had divided the coins up evenly so the weight of each safe was nearly identical but some of the boxes held the diamonds and jewels and some held none. They also mixed up the keys so that no one was holding the keys for the safes they knew the locations of. Although none of the four had any reason to distrust each other, the saying 'No honor amongst thieves' was something all of them feared. They had been screwed by Alles and they were going to make sure that they all received their fair share on this.

The detectives swam towards the cave entrance. The cave was vast and Steve motioned at Kono to swim to the left and at Chin to go right, as he continued straight ahead.

As they moved deeper into the cave it became darker. Thankfully the lights on their foreheads provided enough glow for them in the clear Ocean water. Steve continually looked to his left at Kono, the over to Chin. He lost sight of Chin when they had been in the water about five minutes.

A moment later his peripheral vision caught movement to his left and he turned to see Kono struggling with a man. He moved swiftly through the water towards his partner. The robber noticed him approaching and to Steve's horror the man pulled a knife from his waistband.

As Steve looked on the man sliced through Kono's oxygen line and then pushing her aside he turned towards Steve holding the knife in front of him.

Kono would later tell the others that what happened next was a blur, so horribly sudden. A second man, Kipp Kaneko had come up behind Steve and before Kono could warn him, Kaneko fired a speargun from about eight feet away. As he was struggling with George Kaneko for the knife Steve's arms were raised above his head.

The spear entered Steve's lower back exiting his front lower abdomen. Kono was terrified as she turned and swam from the scene as quickly as possible. Looking over her shoulder she watched Steve's body come to rest on the Ocean floor and she saw that the two robbers had began their chase of her.

Kono swam as fast as she could easily out distancing her pursuers. Her lungs burned as she held her breath. She had to get to the surface, she had to get to Danny so they could help Steve….oh God, Steve…..

As she broke the surface of the water she ripped her mask off, coughing and gasping for air.  
"DANNY…DDANNNY…two mmen….right behind me"  
Danny drew his gun as he moved to the ladder helping Kono on board.

"Danny…..Steve's hurt….oh God we have to get back down there!"  
Before he could say anything the two men surfaced and Danny turned his gun on them, "FIVE-0, You move and I'll put a bullet through you! Now one at a time, swim to the ladder….NOW!"

Reality then hit Kipp Kaneko that the man lying on the Ocean floor was a cop….fuck….his life was over. Kipp Kaneko decided to take a chance and as he dove under the surface Danny fired three times…striking him twice.

George Kaneko looked up at the detectives, "Hey….don't shoot. Please don't shoot"  
He then did as Danny instructed and pulled his brother's lifeless body to the boat ladder. Kono held Danny's gun on George as the blonde detective pulled the dead man aboard. George then slowly climbed up the ladder.

Kono hollered out, "Be careful Danny, he has a knife"  
Danny frisked him, taking the knife from the man's waistband. He then handcuffed him to the other end of the bench that Paul Hillman was cuffed to.

Danny turned to Kono who had grabbed another oxygen tank and was preparing to go back down.  
"Kono, no stop…..I'm going down"  
"Danny, I'm a stronger swimmer"  
"Kono, what happened to him?"  
Pointing to the dead man, her voice shook as she spoke, "That bastard shot him with a speargun"

"What?" he stepped closer to her, grabbing her arms, "Kono give me that tank, I'm going down. You may be a stronger swimmer, but I'm stronger. You can't get him up here. Tell me where to find him"

Not taking the time to change into gear Danny took off his socks and shoes. Kono helped him slip on the oxygen tank as she told him where to find Steve.

Moments later Danny was swimming towards his partner…yes, his 'partner' and his best friend. It terrified him to think that Steve was dead and that the last words he had spoken to this great man were words of anger.


	6. Chapter 6

*********** Thank's for all the reviews and alerts - I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I hope you like where I take it ! ***********

Danny's heart was in his throat. He hated the water and he certainly had never scuba dived before. He pushed those fears aside though because what he feared most was what he was going to find when he reached Steve.

Damn how stupid he had been! He had treated his partner horribly today and just the thought that those would be his last moments with Steve filled him with dread. _'Please God, please let him be alive'_

Suddenly he came into view. He was laying on his side, his blood changing the blue/green water around him a sickly red. Danny moved as fast as he could towards his fallen brother.

**5050505050505050505050**

Chin had been just out of Danny's view as he had descended and a couple of minutes after Danny had entered the water Kono was surprised as three heads popped above the surface. She hollered out to Chin what had happened to Steve and that Danny had gone after him. Chin remained in the water until both Mark Hillman and McKnight were on the boat and handcuffed before he dove back under.

**5050505050505050505050**

Danny reached Steve's side in moments. The only things he could definitely see was that Steve was unconscious and that the spear that was protruding from his body was almost three feet long. He checked the oxygen tank and mask and everything appeared to be working well. He needed to move him with as little amount of jarring as possible. He planted his feet as firmly onto the sand as he could and then he squatted and grabbed Steve under the arms. In one quick motion he pushed up from the ground and began frantically kicking as he pulled his partner.

Pulling the dead body weight of the muscular Navy SEAL was exhausting.  
Danny pushed himself in his mind, _'Keep going Williams...you're almost there...you can't stop...he'll die if you stop, go, go, go' _  
His muscles ached and his lungs burned, _'Can't stop Danny...you're almost there'_

He had just exited the cave as he saw an angel appear in front of him in the form of Chin Ho Kelly.  
Without missing a beat, Chin grabbed one arm and the men began moving swiftly through the water with an ominous trail of Steve's blood following them...

When they were a few feet from the surface Chin looked back and instantly began pushing through the water at an even more frenetic pace. His movements caused Danny to glance back and he too saw them...two sharks closing in...

As they popped above the water Kono instantly noticed the fear and she raced to the ladder.  
Both men had threw their masks off and Kono heard the word, "SHARKS"  
She hollered at them, "SWIM GUYS, SWIM! FASTER, YOU CAN DO IT...SWIM!"  
As they neared the ladder Danny yelled to Chin, "GET TO THE LADDER"  
Chin yelled back, "I'VE GOT HIM DANNY, GO!"  
The stubborn Jersey detective lost it, "DAMN YOU KELLY, GET UP THAT LADDER NOW!"

Knowing there was no time to argue Chin released his grip on Steve and swam the last several feet to the ladder. He climbed half way up and then as Danny reached him, he took hold of Steve under the arms and with Kono's help they pulled him on board trying desperately not to bump the spear.

Kono continued to holler for Danny to hurry as the sharks were only about thirty feet away. His foot slipped on the last rung of the ladder and Kono grabbed his arms, pulling him into the boat with only seconds to spare.

They fell back on top of each other into the boat and before they could even regain their bearings the shark rammed the boat, rocking it violently.  
As Chin tried to keep Steve still, Kono and Danny grabbed their guns and began firing at the two circling sharks. They struck both of them and Danny sighed deeply as they swam off.

Their eyes met and they both turned, moving towards their fallen leader.

Chin had removed the oxygen tank and mask from Steve and he was cradling his head in his lap.  
He looked up at the concerned duo, "He's alive"  
Kono's voice was shaking as she looked at how pale he was, "We've got to get out of here"  
"NO" Chin's response surprised her, "Kono, we have to keep him as still as possible. Danny call for an Army e-vac unit, we have to get him airlifted out of here fast"

The fear in Chin's voice was palpable as Danny gingerly stepped over the protruding spear to get to his cellphone. He phoned Governor Denning and then knelt at Steve's side.

Reaching out he ran a shaky hand through Steve wet hair as he addressed Kono, "Kono, can you grab the first aid kit and some blankets and towels"  
She moved to the back of the boat and promptly returned with the items.

Chin asked, "What are you going to do?"  
"We've got to try and staunch the bleeding if we can. The chopper should be here in about fifteen, twenty minutes tops"

"I don't know brother. He's bleeding but if we move that damn spear who knows what kind of damage we could cause"  
"Oh God, oh God, oh God...I don't know what to do"

Kono added, "We have to stay calm Danny. If he's going to have any chance we have to stay calm. I think Chin's right, we can't risk that spear moving. Did you tell them to bring blood?"

"Yeah, yeah and I told them to bring something to cut this fucking spear..." Danny then lost total control and as Chin and Kono looked on he lunged at George Kaneko.

He reigned punch after punch on the man's head and face hollering, "YOU FILTHY SON OF A BITCH, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

As Chin screamed for him to stop, Kono threw herself between the two men taking a couple of blows to the back of the head before Danny's brain processed the fact that she was even there.  
Danny fell back against the bench across from Kaneko and clasping his hands behind his head, he pulled his knees up resting his elbows on them.

Kaneko yelled out, "I'M GOING TO SUE YOU, YOU MOTHER FUCKER, YOU'LL ANSWER FOR THIS!"  
Kono glared at him, "YOU SHUT THE HELL UP OR WE'LL LEAVE YOU HERE TO SWIM WITH THE FISHES...AND THE SHARKS!"

He glared at her as she knelt with her back to him in front of Danny. She placed a hand on his bowed head, "Hey bro...it's going to be okay"  
He raised his head and looked into her dark eyes, "I'm so sorry Kono, are you okay?"  
"Of course Danny, that was just a 'love tap'. Come On, let's check on the boss"  
The words no sooner left her lips and Chin was calling out, "DANNY, HE NEEDS YOU!"


	7. Chapter 7

Danny was at his side in seconds, kneeling next to his head. Steve's eyes were open wide and he was softly calling out, "Daannno...Daanno..."  
Danny stroked the injured man's cheek, "I'm right here partner. You're going to be just fine"  
"Dannyy...wwhat haappened?"

Not wanting to alarm him, Danny replied "You were stabbed Steve but you're going to be fine. We've got an Army e-vac on the way. You just hold on"  
"What aaren'tt you ttelling mmme Danno?"  
"Nothing buddy, you just lie still here and let us take care of you alright?"  
"You gottt your ttone partner...no bullshit nnow...tell me"

"Steve..." Their eyes connected, "You were stabbed with a fishing spear. It's a through and through but we haven't taken it out, we're waiting on the medics. So all you've got to do is control your breathing and relax and we'll get you out of here okay...I promise"

"Where?"  
"Your belly but it's real low"  
"Iss it bbleeding bbad?"  
"Not too bad partner"

"Did yyou get tthem all?"  
"Yeah we got 'em all. You just relax now"  
"Doesn't evven hhurt much Danno"  
"Good partner, that's good..."  
"DDanno, is ev...everyone else okay?"  
"Yes….we're all right here buddy. Steve...I'm so sorry about how I acted today"  
"Hey...it's nno problemmm...wwe're good partner...wwe're ggood. Hey...I'm ccold"

"We'll warm you up...now don't try to move" Danny took Steve's hand noting how cold it was and he brought it to Chin's, "You're lying in Chin's lap buddy, now here's his hand. You just squeeze him tight babe"  
"I'm ccold DDanno...so...ccold"

"We gotcha buddy" He then moved to Kono, "He's shivering. Grab the blankets will you Kono?"  
The two gently tucked the blankets around Steve leaving the area around the wound uncovered. As they were wrapping his legs, Steve hollered "DANNY! DANNY!"  
Chin squeezed his hand tightly as Danny laid down flat on his belly so Steve could see him, "I'm here Steve, I'm right here"

"DDANNY...OOOH SHIT….. DDANNY...I...I CCAN'T...I CCAN'T FEEL MMY LEGS DANNY…..I CAN'T FFEEL MMY LEGS"  
The fear and panic was evident in his voice as Danny tried to calm him,  
"It's okay babe, you've got to relax...ssssshhhhhh...calm down partner" Danny stroked his cheek.

Steve's breathing had become very rapid, "Ohhhh God no...oohhhh Dannyyy...nnot mmy legs..."  
"Steve ssssshhhhhhh, slow down your breathing now partner, I've got you...sssshhhhhhh"  
They heard the chopper approaching and Danny continued to talk softly, "The chopper is here buddy, help is here. You're doing great Steve, breathe nice and slow...real good, nice and slow"

**50505050505050505050505050**

As the chopper hovered over the boats stern, two Army medics repelled down and made their way to Steve as Kono did the best she could to explain the injuries. Danny stepped back allowing the men access as Steve remained lying in Chin's lap. He was fairly coherent as the medics checked his vitals and asked him questions. They placed an oxygen mask on his face and the medics then started IV's of fluids and a blood transfusion. Kono watched as another medic repelled from the chopper with a gurney, rescue basket and a Mini Caldo Torch.

The team leader, Jack then spoke to Steve and the others explaining their next move.  
"Steve, we're going to use a torch to melt the steel spear so we can transport you easier. Now we'll do our best not to cause you any pain. You have your friend..."  
"Danny"  
"You have Danny here tell us if you need us to stop okay?"  
"Uhh...hhuh...okay"

Danny talked to him calmly and he couldn't help note that he seemed more scared himself than his crazy ass partner did.  
The medics covered Steve's chest, torso and legs with welder's aprons to protect him from flying sparks. The three medics and Kono then all put on aprons, gloves and goggles. They had Kono straddle Steve's chest. They then tied another apron around her legs, this providing a shield to protect Danny and Chin as well as Steve's upper body from any flying debris and sparks.

Two medics then positioned themselves at the exit wound. They knelt on opposite sides of the spear and while trying to keep it as steady as possible they both grabbed hold of it tightly. The slight movement caused Steve to moan and Danny and Chin tightened their grips on his hands.

Danny talked steadily and softly to Steve, "You're doing great Steven. Everything's going to fine babe. We're going to have you out of here in just a bit"

As quickly as possible Jack cut through the spear.  
The movement was minimal but Danny could see in his partner's face the pain it caused. His eyed were clenched shut and he bit his lower lip so hard he drew blood. He held onto the men's hands with a vice grip but he did not cry out. A single tear fell from his eye and Danny reached to wipe it away with his thumb, "You're doing great buddy, squeeze tight….we've got you"

As Jack finished he looked up at, "How's he doing Danny?"  
"He's doing great, finish it up"  
The men then moved and did the same thing with the entry wound.

Steve remained conscious during the entire process and Danny kept talking to him encouraging him to hang on.  
Danny could tell that Steve was afraid and it was a very disconcerting thing to see. McGarrett didn't scare easily, in fact if he really thought about it, in the three years he'd been Steve's partner he'd seen him scared, TRULY scared only once. When Victor Hesse strapped a bomb to Chin's neck a couple of years ago, Steve was scared. Oh he remained focused and professional, ever the stoic Navy SEAL...but he had witnessed a fear in Steve's eyes that day that he had never seen before, or since. But it was there now and if Steve McGarrett was scared, then so was he. He had to stay calm for Steve...he had to stay calm.

With Danny helping the three medics they gently lifted Steve onto the gurney and strapped him, still on his side, into the basket.  
"DANNY...DDANNY" He hollered through his oxygen mask.  
Danny lifted the mask, "I'm right here buddy. You're doing great, you just hang on for me"  
Steve then spoke so quietly that Danny could not hear him over the whirring of the chopper. He leaned close to Steve's face, "What partner?"  
"Stay...Danno...pplease stay wwith me"  
"I'm not going anywhere buddy, I'm right here. Now I'm going to put your mask back on to help you breathe"  
"Don't nneed it Danno"  
"Don't argue with me okay? It's not going to hurt you to use it"  
"Okay" With that Danny slipped the mask back over Steve's nose and mouth.

Soon they had Steve hooked up they were ready to lift him into the chopper.  
Jack knelt next to Steve, "Steve, we're ready to lift you into the chopper. Are you doing okay?"  
"Yeah...'m good"

"My buddy Frank is up there waiting for you and Danny and I will be right behind you. Just close your eyes and enjoy the ride, you're doing great"  
Danny squeezed his shoulder, "I'll be right behind you partner" Steve nodded and closed his eyes as Danny stepped back letting the medics take over.

He moved over to Chin and Kono, "I'm going with him, can you two handle this?"  
Chin spoke, "We're fine. I'll coordinate with HPD and we'll get to the hospital as soon as possible. You just take care of him"

The three exchanged embraces and watched as the e-vac team worked with amazing efficiency.

********* More to follow **********


	8. Chapter 8

Once in the chopper Danny identified himself to Frank who was checking Steve's vitals and relaying the information to the hospital.  
Steve's eyes were closed and Danny was alarmed to see that his skin tone had become much more pale.

In just a few minutes, they were all on board and once they had lifted Steve up onto the bed the chopper took off, racing across the beautiful Hawaiian landscape towards Hawaiian General.

Steve regained consciousness when he was moved and Danny was right there. Jack had been in touch with surgeons at the hospital and he had explained to Danny that they were going to work on keeping his vitals stable and not remove the wet suit here. Their main goal was to not allow the spear to move and cause any additional internal damage. The fact that Steve had no feeling from his waist down alarmed them all due to where the spear had entered his back, making permanent paralysis a definite concern.

"Danno..."  
"I'm right here buddy, how are you doing?" Danny lifted the oxygen mask.  
"I'm pparralyzed Danno..."

"Hey, it could be temporary partner...and hey, if you are? Then we deal with it okay. I'm here for you and whatever happens we'll deal with it together. I'm not going anywhere and neither are Kono or Chin or Gracie. We love you man and we're here. I promise you're not alone Steve. You have to hang on for me, you don't quit"

"I should hhurt mmore Danny...I don't hurt much...oh shit….Dannyyyy...oh shit"  
There was despair in Steve's voice as Danny tried to calm him, "It's going to be okay, you've got to relax now for me partner. I know you're scared Steve but I'm right here"

"Danny...'m ssoo ccold..."  
Jack moved close leaning in over Danny's shoulder, "Steve, we're landing now, you hang on"

"Hear that buddy, we're going get you help now"  
"Daanny you know aabout the letters...don't forgget the letters"  
"We aren't going to be reading those letters, not for a long time Steven, you hear me?"  
"Yeah...I hhear you partner"

Steve again passed out and Jack explained, "He's lost a lot of blood Danny and he's very weak. Hold onto him, we're landing"  
Danny put the mask back in place and then he held an arm across Steve's shoulders as the plane landed on the roof of the hospital.

The trauma and surgical teams were in place and they stopped Danny at the emergency room door.  
Danny nervously watched through the small window on the door as several Doctors and a large staff surrounded Steve. A young Nurse took over the role of talking to him and comforting him. He watched as an anesthesiologist removed the oxygen mask from Steve's face replacing it with his own and in seconds his partners chin dropped against the bed as the drugs took him under. The staff then moved methodically cutting away all of Steve's clothing. His entire torso, groin area and thighs were drenched in blood and Danny prayed that they had done the right thing by not trying to staunch the blood flow. They had already started transfusing a third bag of blood into his veins. Danny stepped back as a Doctor moved into the hall to talk to him.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Blaine Seiler and I'll be leading the team operating on Commander McGarrett"  
"I'm his partner, Danny Williams. I'm his Medical Power of Attorney, please tell me everything"  
"He's very critical Danny. We're taking x-rays now to determine what organ damage has occurred"  
"What about the paralysis Doc?"

"Until we operate I can't speculate. Right now we need to stabilize him and keep up the transfusions. We'll be taking him into surgery shortly. The surgery could take several hours and I'll send someone to the waiting room periodically to update you"

The men shook hands and Danny asked, "Can I see him for a minute?"  
"No, I'm sorry son. We're taking the x-rays now and then we need to prep him. We've already put him under. I really need to get back to him now"  
"Thank you Doc….take care of him please"  
"I'll do everything I can for him, I promise"

As the Doctor moved back through the doors, Danny turned and walked down the hallway to the waiting room.

**50505050505050505050505050**

In the waiting room Danny grabbed a cup of coffee and then took a seat at a table. He pulled out his cell phone dialing Chin.

"Danny, hey bro how's he doing?"  
"No news yet Chin. He's hanging in there…..they're just about to take him into surgery now. How's it going there?"

"We're still on the boat. HPD is here. They've taken the suspects in and we've had divers recovering the safes. So far we've found six of them and McKnight confirmed to me that there were eight. I figure we'll be here about another hour and then we'll get to the hospital. Are you okay bro?"

"Yeah, as good as I can be"  
"He'll make it Danny, you just hang in there"  
"Will do buddy, see you soon"

Danny leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply. After taking several sips of coffee he then phoned Gabby.  
"Gabby…"  
She noted instantly the distress in his voice, "Danny, is everything alright?"  
"No…no its not…" He struggled, trying not to cry.  
"Danny…please talk to me baby. Where are you?"  
"I'm at Hawaiian General. Steve's been hurt. He's just going into surgery"  
"Danny, I'll be there in a few minutes"  
"Gabby…I love you"  
"I love you too honey. I'll be right there"

Danny hung up the phone and standing, he moved over to look out the window. Steve was paralyzed. His best friend, his partner…..Superman was actually mortal after all. Paralyzed…his hair stood on his neck as the word echoed in his head. How was Steve going to deal with this? He often teased him about how much he worked out, running and swimming almost daily. Steve McGarrett was a fine physical specimen and the thought of him confined to a wheelchair made Danny's stomach turn. Tears welled in his eyes as he leaned against the window and resting his head against his forearm he sobbed softly.

Twenty minutes later Gabby arrived finding Danny standing at the window staring out aimlessly. She moved up behind him, placing her arms around his waist.

He turned and they embraced.  
"Hi, thanks for coming"  
"Of course….come with me, let's go sit" She took his hand and guided him to a nearby couch where they sat.  
Gabby continued to stroke his hand in hers as she asked, "Danny, tell me what happened?"  
He told her the details of everything that had happened all day and she listened intently. "So what are the Doctors saying?"

"Not much yet. Until they get him opened up they don't know the extent of the damage"  
"But he's paralyzed?"  
"At this point, yeah….the Doc wouldn't really say anything about it, but he couldn't feel or move his legs. With that wound he should have been in excruciating pain, but he couldn't feel much. Jesus Gabby, I'm scared for him"

"Danny as long as he lives, that's all that matters. He's a strong man. If the paralysis is permanent he'll adjust, he'll live a full life"  
"You're right Gabby, he's strong….but he's such a physically active person. I don't know how he'll adjust to this"

"He will…..he'll have new challenges but if you, Chin and Kono are there for him, he'll be fine. He'll still be Steve honey, just because he cannot walk it doesn't change who is as a man but he'll need his Ohana to remind him of that. He'll need you all more than ever"

Danny looked at her and smiled, "Thank you Gabby. I needed to hear that"  
"Are you hungry?"  
"Yeah, I guess I am"  
"Where are Chin and Kono?"  
"They were wrapping everything up on the boat. The HPD divers have recovered most of the money and jewels. I expect them here anytime now"

Danny's phone then rang and he grinned, "Speak of the devil, hey Chin….how's it going?"  
"Everything's been recovered"  
"That's fantastic brother, great job. Gabby's here, I'll let her know. Are you on your way in now?"  
"Yes, any news on Steve?"  
"No, not yet. The Doctor said the surgery could take several hours"  
"It's going to be a long day"  
"It's already been a long day buddy. We'll pick up some lunch and be up soon. So do you and Gabby have any preference?"

He turned to Gabby, "Chin's going to grab us some lunch. What would you like?"  
"Anything will be fine"  
"Chin, how about some sandwiches and salads…...okay thanks, see you soon"

Danny and Gabby then grabbed some coffee and moved to a table to wait.


	9. Chapter 9

The four sat eating and talking until a Doctor entered the waiting room.  
"Hello, are you the family of Commander McGarrett?"  
They all stood as Danny spoke, "Yes, we're his family. I'm Danny Williams"  
The Doctor shook their hands and they sat, all eyes turned to Doctor Michael Grazier.

"He's handling the surgery well. We have removed the spear. It passed through the lower section of his large intestines, the sigmoid colon. We had to remove four inches of his intestines and two surgeons are working now on re-sectioning and repairing arterial damage. We'll need to perform a colostomy and that will need to remain in place until he heals internally. You need to know that leaving that spear intact saved his life. He certainly would have bled to death if you had removed it. He does have an infection caused by waste from the intestines that leaked into his abdominal cavity and we will be giving him with high dose IV antibiotics to treat that and to prevent further infection"

Danny asked the question on all their minds, "Doc, the paralysis…"  
"It's too early to say but there are good signs. While he has obvious spinal cord trauma there are no cuts to the cord or the nerves. This is very good. There is a lot of swelling of the cord itself and the surrounding tissue and nerves. Until the swelling subsides we won't know the extent of the damage"

Danny's voice shook, "So it could be temporary then?"  
"We certainly hope so Danny. The spear did cause a great deal of damage though. It entered his lower back and fractured his fifth lumbar vertebra and the upper sacrum. The exit wound fractured his pelvis. Once the surgeons are done with the intestines they'll clean up the abdomen and then we can get a better look at his spinal column. There are a lot of small bone fragments that need to be removed as well. I really need to get back to him but like I said earlier, he's holding up well"

Danny and Chin shook his hand and thanked him. After he left, the four looked at each other and Danny grinned.  
Kono spoke first, "This is good news guys. Nobody is tougher than Steve and the Doc says he doing well. This is good, this is good" She felt numb, as if she spoke the words in an effort to convince herself as well as the others that Steve would be fine.

Danny reached over and grasped her hand and smiled, "Yes, this is good news and he's going to be fine sweetheart"

Doctor Seiler was the next one to come out more than three hours later. After introducing himself to Chin, Kono and Gabby he gave them additional information. "The surgery is over. He's in recovery now. The intestinal re-sectioning went well and we were able to clean out his abdominal cavity fully. The bone fractures caused a lot of splintering and that's what took the most time. We wanted to make sure we got all the fragments removed. I know you're all as concerned as we are about the paralysis and I don't want to give you any false hope but with no cutting of the cord or nerves I do hold out great hope that the paralysis will pass as the swelling subsides"

"How long could that take Doc?"  
"We should see improvement in two to three weeks"  
"When can we see him?"  
"He'll be in recovery for at least two to three hours and then I'll keep in ICU until after I see him in the morning"

"So I can't see him until then?"  
"I'll be in at about nine tomorrow morning so how about if I leave word with the ICU nurses that you can see him before I get here in the morning. Only you though Danny, you can't all be in the ICU. I'll be keeping him heavily medicated until then and he wouldn't even be aware that you were there. I'm sure you would rest better at home"

"Will you have someone call me if there's any change in his condition?"  
"Of course. We have your contact information in his chart"

Danny shook his hand, "Thank you Doc, please thank everyone on your team for us. We're all extremely grateful for all you've done for Steve"  
"You're welcome. He has a long road ahead of him and he'll need you all"

Chin extended his hand, "And we'll be there for him, no matter what we'll be there. Thank you Doctor Seiler"  
"I don't doubt that all. It's a very terrifying experience to go through for all of you, but especially for him. So please, rest up tonight and I'm sure I'll see you all tomorrow"

After the Doctor left Danny looked at the others, "Well...I hate leaving here, but..."  
Chin jumped in, "He's in good hands Danny. They'll be with him constantly in the ICU. You need some sleep because from experience I know you're going to become a permanent fixture here starting tomorrow"

Danny chuckled, "Yeah, you're right. And I'll admit that a hot shower and a nice soft bed sure does sound good. I'll call you two tomorrow morning after I see him"

"Sounds good"  
They all left the waiting room and after final hugs and goodbyes in the parking lot Danny left, driving Gabby's car with his still being at Headquarters. Kono and Chin had delivered Steve's truck to his place and were both back in their own vehicles.

Tears of relief moistened Danny's eyes as he drove from the hospital. He had a lot of work ahead of him but Steve was going to walk again, he just knew it...


	10. Chapter 10

They rode in silence for a few minutes before Gabby spoke, "Do you want to head to my place?"  
"I know you hate my apartment but I need to stay there. I don't know if the hospital has my home or cellphone info and I can't miss any calls"  
"I don't 'hate' your apartment honey"  
"You don't? Well I sure do!"

They both giggled, "Are you okay Danny?"  
"I'm better Gabby. Its always worse not knowing. The Doc seemed pretty optimistic though. I'll be a lot better once I can see him"

"Do you mind if I stay with you tonight?"  
"Do I mind? Sweetheart I would love if you stayed with me tonight. I need to just hold you, and to have you hold me"  
She reached over and grasped his hand, "I'm here for you Danny"

He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, "Do you mind if I stop by Headquarters so I can pick up my car first? There's no reason for you to get up at the crack of dawn to drive me to the hospital"  
"Okay sure"  
"Also, would you mind terribly if we pass on our Italian dinner tonight? I don't have much of an appetite"  
"Of course not. I'll fix up something quick later"

"I don't have much in the freezer, I think I've got Gracie's favorite, corn dogs and french fries. BUT, I know I have her other favorite, DOVE Ice Cream bars"  
Gabby smiled, "What more could a girl ask for!"

**505050505050505050505050**

Once they arrived at Danny's he checked to make sure that there were no messages from the hospital and then he excused himself to take a shower. As the hot, almost scalding water beat on his head and neck and rolled down over his body his thoughts turned to his partner and Danny prayed. Danny Williams didn't pray much but Steve needed prayers right now and as he pleaded for his partners' recovery, he also thanked God that Steve was alive. When he exited the shower twenty minutes later he felt relief and comfort. Steve would walk again, he just knew it.

He threw on sweatpants and a t-shirt and grabbing the same for Gabby he placed them on the bathroom counter along with a clean towel.

He found her sitting on his couch sipping a beer and scrolling through the cable listings for a movie.  
He sat next to her draping his arm across her shoulders, "Anything good on?"  
His eyes turned to the screen as she said, "No..."  
"Do you want to go shower?"  
"Is there any hot water left?"  
"Was I in there that long?"

She leaned over and gave him a peck on the lips, "I'm teasing. A shower would feel wonderful. Can you finish this for me?" She handed him her beer.  
"I think I can handle it. There are clothes and a towel on the counter for you. Hurry back..."  
"I will"

As soon as the bathroom door closed Danny moved quickly and when Gabby exited the bathroom half an hour later she found a candlelight dinner waiting for her of corn dogs, complete with ketchup, mustard and relish, and french fries with Danny Williams secret seasoning salt. This gourmet meal was accompanied by beer served in wine glasses.

Greeting her at the entry to the 'dining room' was Danny smiling broadly, in his sweats and t-shirt and he couldn't have looked any sexier!

Her hand went to her mouth, "Oh Danny, this is wonderful" Tears filled her eyes and he reached out pulling her tightly to his chest. After several seconds he separated from her and taking her face into his hands he spoke softly, his voice shaking with emotion, "I could have lost you today Gabby and I was so scared. I've known for quite some time now, but after today...oh God Gabby I love you, I love you so much"

She moved to him and kissed him gently, tenderly and then looking into his beautiful blue eyes she said, "I love you too"

They kissed again and then Danny added, "Dinner's getting cold and I slaved over a hot stove you know"  
"I can see that. Well, let's eat" After one more kiss they moved to the table and after sharing a wonderful meal topped off with chocolate covered DOVE bars they made their way up to bed.

Danny called the hospital to check on Steve one last time for the night and after being told that he was resting comfortably and his vitals were stable, he made sure they had his phone number and then he hung up.  
He placed his cellphone on the night stand and then he laid next to Gabby, both of them still fully clothed and he pulled the covers up over them. He did not want sex tonight, in fact he was afraid he wouldn't be able to perform even if he wanted to. His body was here, with Gabby nestled lovingly in the crook of his arm but his mind was at the hospital, with his partner. He was very grateful that this beautiful lady seemed to understand that and they simply held each other, not speaking until the exhaustion of the day quickly overtook both of them.

********** It's a shorter chapter but a good place to stop - I hope you're still enjoying it ! ************


	11. Chapter 11

Danny woke at a little after four in the morning slipping out of bed without waking Gabby. After using the bathroom he dressed, grabbed his cellphone and quietly put a couple changes of clothes and some toiletries into a duffel bag. He then moved to the bed, pulling the covers up to Gabby's chest and leaning over to kiss her forehead before turning and leaving the room.

He arrived in the ICU a little after five and was greeted by the head nurse, Melanie.

"Doctor Seiler told me to expect you this morning but I have to admit I didn't expect you quite this early"  
Danny grinned, thinking _'I like this lady' _before saying, "I couldn't sleep. How is he doing?"

She smiled at the young blonde man looking at her with such concern in in his eyes, "He's stable and resting comfortably. He's got a bit of a fever but we have him hooked up to IV antibiotics and fluids. We're also infusing him with an anti-inflammatory to treat the spinal cord swelling. We have completed his blood transfusions though. He's on a respirator to aid his breathing but I believe the Doctor plans on removing him from that this morning. He's really doing well Danny"

"How high is his fever?"  
"102.6"  
"And this is due to the abdominal infection?"  
"Yes. I'm sure the Doctor explained that waste had entered his abdominal cavity?"  
"Yes, but they were able to clean that all out correct?"

"They did, but infection had already set in and now the concern is to stop the infection before sepsis sets in"  
"I know that's an infection right?"  
"Sepsis is an infection in the blood. It causes inflammation and the immune system can attack the body's own organs and tissues"  
"Jesus"  
"He's not showing signs of this and the treatment for it is antibiotics and fluids, so we just need to monitor him carefully"

"Can I see him now?"  
"Absolutely, you'll need to wear a gown, mask and gloves for his protection. We need to keep the germs away"  
"Of course"

She guided him to a nearby sink where she had him wash up and then she led him into the room. The whooshing of the respirator instantly assaulted Danny's senses. God how he hated that sound! As he moved closer he began to shake. They had stopped the transfusions and he had expected Steve's color to be better, but he was still horribly pale.

He turned to Melanie, "Why is he so pale?"  
"His body has been through a severe trauma. His coloring is improving"  
"Okay" Danny watched his partners' chest rise and fall rhythmically with the respirator. His eyes took in all the machines and tubing attached to Steve's body pumping life-saving fluids into him. He noted the colostomy bag and the bag holding urine which had a disheartening pink tinge to it.

"He has blood in his urine?"  
"Again Danny, his body has undergone major trauma. This is not unusual and we're monitoring it"

Steve was sweating as the fever raged through him and a younger nurse named Carley was wiping his head and face. Danny couldn't help but notice Steve's eyes darting from side to side behind his closed lids. In the three years he'd been this crazy man's partner he had stood over his injured body numerous times and every time he would notice the eye movement. After the second vigil he had endured, when Steve had taken a bullet to the shoulder, he had asked him if he remembered anything while he had been unconscious. That was after they had only been partners for about five months and Steve had surprisingly really opened up to him. He had confided to him about the nightmares he would have, about the men he had led and the men he had lost. Steve McGarrett was a natural leader and true leaders' take responsibility when missions go bad... yet they step back from the glory when things go good. But with that responsibility came self-torment, the blaming of himself and the guilt...He explained how the nightmares would come, at least once a week but more if he was over-tired. He had grown accustomed to them and simply accepted them as part of his job, albeit not an enjoyable part of his job. He explained that whenever his body was weakened, either by illness or injury, the dreams would be more frequent and much more intense. And when drugs were involved...the floodgates would open and his memories would torment him.

The other people in Steve's life were not aware of the details of these nightmares although they had witnessed their leader experience them in those rare moments of weakness when he was injured. He had promised Steve that he would never disclose the depth or the nature of his torment to anyone, and he hadn't. But Danny had also vowed to himself that he would always be there for him, always be there to comfort, always be there to listen. And this was one of those times.

Taking his partner's hand in his he leaned in close and whispered into his ear, "I'm right here partner. It's Danno and I've got you. You're going to be just fine Steve, rest now and I'll be right here"  
Danny then felt the tightening, although weak, of Steve's hand in his.  
"That a boy, you rest now Steve...Danno's got you, you're safe"  
Melanie came up behind Danny with a chair and he looked to her, "Thank you"  
"You're welcome. Carley will stay right here. You let her know if you need anything" As he sat holding Steve's hand, Melanie squeezed his shoulder and then left the room.

**5050505050505050505050505050**

Danny talked to his unconscious partner throughout the morning. He told him about how everything went with capturing the robbers and how they had recovered all the coins and jewels. He told him how Chin and Kono were scheduled to meet with Governor Denning this morning after they met with Duke at HPD headquarters. Duke had taken over the investigation and had interrogated and booked the robbers yesterday.

At a little before eight o'clock Steve started to gag slightly as the drugs began to wear off. Danny jumped to his feet, "Steve, relax buddy...you've got a tube in your throat. Relax Steve..."  
Danny was running a hand through his sweat drenched hair as Steve's eye's slowly opened.  
"Hey partner, don't try to talk. The Doc should be in soon to take the tube out of your throat. Blink twice if you hear me okay?"  
Steve's eyes blinked twice prompting a smile from his partner.

"Good, good...now blink once for yes, twice for no babe...are you in pain?"  
Again, two blinks.  
"Good partner, everything went really well and you're going to be just fine"  
As Danny chattered on, Nurse Carley continued to monitor his vitals and in just a few minutes, Nurse Melanie entered the room with a Doctor.

He introduced himself to Steve and Danny adding, "Doctor Seiler is running a little late this morning. It looks like you had a good night Steve so how about if we get this nasty tube out of your throat now. You just hold still for me. You're gagging reflex will kick in and Carley will have some water ready for you"  
Danny stood next to Carley holding Steve's hand and smiling down at him as in one quick motion the Doctor pulled the long tube from his throat. Carley held the straw to his lips encouraging him to take small sips as she used the cool cloth in her other hand to wipe the tears that had slipped from his eyes.

The Doctor then checked Steve's vitals as he spoke with him, "I hope that feels better Commander McGarrett"  
Steve cleared his throat and spoke softly, "It does. Call me Steve please"  
"Okay Steve. I'm going to have you wait for Doctor Seiler to give you all the details of your surgery but your lungs appear clear and your vitals are good. One to ten can you tell me how bad your pain is?"

"About a six...seven maybe...not too bad"  
"That's good to hear. I was part of the team that treated you yesterday and you had us quite worried for a while but everything seems to be progressing well. We need to keep working on getting your fever down so rest is the best thing for you. Do you have any immediate questions or can you wait for Doctor Seiler?"

"I can wait...thank you Doctor"  
"You're welcome. You rest up now and if you need any pain medication you let Carley or your partner know"  
"Okay"  
The Doctor left and Steve looked up at Carley. "Can you please give us a minute alone?"  
"I need to stay in the room Steve but I'll wait at the table"  
"Thank You"

As she moved from earshot, Steve looked pleadingly at his partner..."Danno, I need to hear the truth. Tell me about my legs...please..."

*********** More to follow ************


	12. Chapter 12

"Steve, I think we should wait for the Doctor. He should b…."  
Steve cut him off, his voice pained and shaky, "Danny….no….I need to know and I ….I need you to tell me….please Danno...tell me"  
The SEAL lifted his arms desperately grasping the front of Danny's shirt.  
"Okay, okay Steve calm down babe…calm down"

Danny grabbed his partners' arms easily pushing them back onto his chest. He laid his right arm on top of Steve's grasping his forearm tightly. He then placed his left hand on Steve's forehead, rubbing it gently.  
"Steve listen carefully to me now, your spinal cord is swollen. It is NOT cut, do you hear me? It is NOT cut! The paralysis could be temporary buddy, just temporary"

Danny watched Steve's reaction carefully knowing how important it was to keep him calm. Steve swallowed hard as he choked back the pain and his emotions. He was sweating profusely and his breathing was rapid.  
"Temporary ….Danno….really?"  
"Yeah partner. There's a lot of swelling around your nerves but the Doc is optimistic that when the swelling goes down your feeling will come back"

"Serious…..Danny really?"  
"Yeah, I promise man. The Doc will tell you when he gets here so you have to relax and close your eyes okay, just sleep buddy"  
"Temporary…..oh thank God…." Steve's body was shaking as he closed his eyes and Danny ran his hand through his hair.

"Sleep Steve, relax now. I've got you" After several minutes Danny felt Steve's body relax and he hoped he hadn't said too much. He knew Steve, he knew him well and more than anything right now the man simply needed hope.

Once he was certain Steve was sleeping, Danny reached over to the bedside table and re-wetting the cool cloth he patted his partner's flush head, face and neck until Doctor Seiler arrived a little over an hour later.

He shook Danny's hand, "Good Morning Danny. I hear you arrived quite early"  
Danny grinned, "Couldn't sleep"  
"I understand. Five-0 has quite a reputation in the hospital. We know you'll want to be staying with him so I've got him set up to be in a private room. There will be an extra bed in there along with a couch and a table and chairs for you and your team"

"I'm sorry, it sounds like we're causing quite a ruckus"  
"No, not at all. Your devotion for each other is admirable. It's common for families to want to stay with their loved ones during times like these. That's why we have the rooms"  
"Thank you Doctor"

"So I'm told he had a good night. His fever is not rising dramatically which is good, it will take a couple of days before the antibiotics really kick in. When he was awake this morning did he seem coherent to you?"

"Oh yes. He remembered everything. He asked about his legs"  
"What did you tell him?"  
"I didn't lie to him. I told him there was severe swelling but that you were optimistic that it could be temporary"

"That's good. I am optimistic. He's young and very strong and he needs to maintain a positive attitude about this. So you did just fine Danny. Let's take a look at him now"

He leaned over his patient placing a hand on his shoulder, "Steve...Steve can you open your eyes for me?"  
After a couple minutes of prompting his eyes opened. Doctor Seiler continued, "Good Morning young man. I'm not sure if you remember me from yesterday. I'm Doctor Blaine Seiler and I led the team of surgeons that operated on you" He went over with Steve everything that had been done during the surgery and how they were battling the fever and inflammation with the IV Infusions. He then sat on the edge of the bed and broached the topic of the spinal injury.

"I understand Danny told you a bit about your spinal injury and he was correct in telling you that I am very optimistic that once the swelling goes down you should regain the feeling in your torso and legs. I need you to understand though Steve that I cannot make any promises on this. The spinal cord and surrounding nerves are extremely fragile and even the slightest injury can cause extensive damage. You need to remain positive and allow your body time to heal but you also must prepare yourself for the possibility that there could be permanent damage. We are doing everything we can for you medically but only time will tell"

"I understand Doctor Seiler and I appreciate you honesty...thank you"  
"Let's check you out then and work on getting you moved to a room that's more comfortable"  
After he examined Steve thoroughly he left with the understanding that he would be back to check on him again late afternoon.

Danny moved closer to the bed, "You okay buddy?"  
Steve looked up and smiled, "Yeah Danno...I'm going to beat this...I'm going to walk again"  
Danny smiled back at him, "I know you will Steve, I know you will"

**505050505050505050505050**

A couple of hours later Steve was settled in his room and resting in a drug induced sleep.  
As his Nurse, Ricki wiped him with a cool cloth, Danny moved to the window overlooking the hospital courtyard and he called Gabby, MaryAnn, Catherine and Rachel to inform them of the events of the last twenty four hours. He then called Chin.

"Hey Danny, how's he doing"  
"Good, really good. He's in his own room now and they've taken him off the respirator. He's very coherent and he had a good talk with the Doctor. His pain elevated a bit when they moved him and his fevers up to 103.3 so we're working on getting that down"

"How's he doing with the paralysis?"  
"The Doc was totally honest with him Chin about being optimistic but also making no guarantees. McGarrett's tough man. He said he's going to walk again and I sure as hell believe him"

"My monies on him as well buddy. I feel you in on everything when we get there. They just called us in to Denning's office"  
"Let him know I'll call him tomorrow and that Steve's doing well. He's in room 363"  
"Okay bro, we'll see you in a couple of hours"

Danny moved back to the bedside and turning the TV on low he watched Steve sleep and wiped his sweat-drenched face.  
He was still sleeping when Chin and Kono arrived bearing a lunch of lasagna and salads. Nurse Ricki took over tending to Steve as the detectives moved to the table to eat.

Chin filled him in on HPD's processing of the robbers. They had separated McKnight from the others for his own safety. Kaneko and the Hillman cousins had pieced things together and realized that McKnight had led 5-0 to the Marina.

Kaneko was still threatening to sue the government for Danny's attack on him as well.  
Chin grinned, "Don't worry though brother. I told the Governor what happened and he'll back you up. He may have to suspend you with pay for a short time but that should be the worst of it"

"I shouldn't be suspended at all? We all know that he and Hillman are the damned ringleaders of that bunch and his fucking brother put a spear through Steve and they terrorized Gabby"  
"Calm down Danny, we'll deal with all that later. Speaking of Gabby, how's she doing?"  
Danny smiled, "She's fine. She had to finish up an inventory report and get it over to HPD. I expect her up a little later"

They were interrupted by a soft voice coming from the bed, "What smells so good?"  
The three all moved over to the bed and Ricki stepped aside and left the room. Kono stroked his cheek as Chin stood on the other side of the bed taking hold of his hand.

Kono smiled at him, "Hey boss you're looking good"  
"Yeah, I bet. So what smells so good?"  
"We brought in some lasagna from Macaluso's, but sorry….none for you"  
"Oh sweetheart…."  
"I tell you what. As soon as they put you on solids I'll make you some homemade lasagna"  
"Oh Kono, I love you!"  
She chuckled and leaned in kissing his forehead, "I love you too Steve. How are you feeling?"

"I'm a little sore…..I feel kind of cold….."  
Danny pulled another blanket from the foot of the bed up over his legs and Kono and Chin brought it up and tucking it around his chest.  
Danny then asked, "Hey buddy, do you need some pain meds?"  
"No…no drugs Danno 'k…...no drugs"  
"I hear you partner..." he handed Kono the dampened cloth and she wiped the SEAL's head, face and neck.

Chin felt Steve's hand tighten in his as his pain intensified. "Squeeze tight Steve, I got you"  
Kono continued to wipe his face as she talked to him soothingly, "Relax boss. Everything's going to be alright"

The three talked softly around his bedside consoling him until he fell asleep about half an hour later.  
They then all pulled up chairs and taking turns trying to cool his fever ravaged body, they began their long vigil.


	13. Chapter 13

********* Please note I have no medical background and as hard as I try to research, my facts may not be totally accurate. Thanks for continuing to read and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story ************

**50505050505050505050505050**

Steve slept most of the afternoon as the drugs lingered in his system. He would wake periodically, talk for a few minutes and then slip back under, sometimes in mid-sentence.

At about one o'clock a lab tech came in to draw blood and he was subject to Danny's questioning, "What do you need the blood for?"  
The flustered young man looked at the chart and then turned to the Nurse at his side who answered, "The Doctor just wanted to check his white blood cell count"  
"What for?"  
"I'm not sure sir. Do you want to talk to Doctor Seiler first?"  
"No, no...if he ordered it go ahead. I'm sure he'll be in soon"  
They woke Steve and drew the blood from his arm.

As the lab tech left the room Steve looked to Danny with a confused expression on his face.  
"Steve...you alright?"  
"Danny, did the Governor call back yet?"  
"What's that partner?"  
Steve lifted his head off the pillow and repeated, "DID the Governor call back for the numbers yet?"  
"Uh no...not yet...why don't you go back to sleep and I'll wake you when he calls"  
"Why am I so tired...I can't keep my eyes open Danny"

Danny pushed Steve's head back onto the pillow and stroked his forehead noting the rising heat, "Then don't keep them open. Go to sleep partner, I'm right here"  
Steve closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Before drifting off he softly said, "Danno...'m sick"  
"I know babe, sleep now...ssshhhhhhhhh...I've got you"  
In moments Steve was back under.

By the time Doctor Seiler came to check on him at about three in the afternoon his fever had jumped up to 103.8 and his blood pressure had dropped slightly.

The detectives watched as the Doctor examined Steve, all a bit alarmed that he did not wake. As the Doctor pulled back the blankets to access his abdomen Danny noted that the bag collecting his urine had notably changed in color from a pinkish tinge to a fairly bright, blood red. The Doctor pulled the sheet down just above Steve's genitals and removed the bandaging protecting the stab wound. It was quite red and inflamed and even the gentle touch of the Doctors fingers elicited a cry of pain from the injured man. He remained unconscious as Danny whispered soothingly to him.

As the Doctor re-bandaged the wound and covered him up he asked, "Danny, when was he awake last?"  
"A couple of hours ago, when they took his blood...why?"  
"How did he seem?"  
"He was a little confused...and he told me he was sick...Doc, what's wrong?"  
"Come with me please"  
Kono took over tending Steve as Danny and Chin moved to the side of the room with the Doctor.

"It appears that sepsis may have set in. I'm going to need to operate again and re-check the abdominal cavity for any waste we could have missed. I don't want to wait any longer because the infection will only continue to worsen and with that, he will continue to weaken and be less able to fight it off"

Danny nervously ran his hands through his hair, "Okay...okay...do whatever you've got to do to save him Doc"  
"I'll send for him in about twenty minutes. You can stay with him. You'll probably be more comfortable in here than you would be in the waiting room anyway"  
Danny answered, clearly upset by the news he'd just received, "Uhhh, yeah...we'll wait here. Thanks Doc"

**50505050505050505050505050**

The Doctor left the room and Danny moved to Steve's side.  
Chin took Kono's hand and led her over to the window to update her. Danny's hands were shaking as he took hold of Steve's hand and squeezed it. His voice choked with emotion as he spoke softly, "Hey babe. The Doc's taking good care of you but I need you to promise me you'll keep fighting. I know you said we're good and all that but I haven't really gotten a chance to apologize for how I acted this morning. I was a real ass partner and I'm so sorry" Tears slid from his eyes as he continued, "You're strong Steve and you're going to beat this. I'll be right with you every minute, I promise. If you hear me, I need you to squeeze my hand...squeeze my hand Steve"

He felt a very weak squeeze, "That a boy, I'm right here and I love you man. So you keep fighting Superman, keep fighting" Chin and Kono had moved to the other side of the bed and they all talked to him quietly, encouraging him until the orderlies entered the room. The detectives stood aside and watched as the three men gracefully moved Steve from the bed onto the gurney and as he was wheeled past them Kono leaned down and kissed his cheek as Danny squeezed his shoulder. Kono then turned and buried her face against Chin's chest and he held her as she sobbed.

Danny had moved over to the window and he stood staring aimlessly out at the hustle and bustle of people below him in the courtyard. He was afraid...Steve was very weak and if his organs had begun to fail he knew that his friend might not make it out of the operating room alive. Yes, Danny Williams was truly scared.

Gabby arrived about half an hour later to find the empty hospital bed and the detectives all sitting solemnly around the table. "Hey...what's going on?"  
Danny moved to her quickly and embraced her. She felt his body trembling slightly in her arms and she held onto him, speaking softly, "Oh God Danny, whats happened?"  
"They had to take him back into surgery Gabby"  
"Why Danny?"  
They parted, and holding hands they moved to the table. Kona and Chin gave her hugs and then they all sat. Chin spoke, explaining Steve's condition to her and possible complications he faced.

She squeezed Danny's hand, "He's so very strong..."  
Danny interrupted her, "Not right now he's not. He's about as weak and vulnerable as I've ever seen him"  
"Danny, you have to believe in him sweetheart. You have to stay strong for him...he needs you"  
"I know he does...and I'm here for him...I just don't know if that's enough Gabby"

Kono abruptly stood and raced from the room and as Chin stood to go after her Danny stopped him.  
"Chin, let me go...please, let me go"  
Without speaking a word, Chin sat and Danny raced from the room. He caught up with Kono as she was getting onto the elevator. He stepped on with her and as he reached to take her hand, she pulled away.

"Hey, Kono...what's this about?"  
"You can be such an asshole Danny" Tears were falling down her cheeks and she continued to stare straight ahead, unable to meet his gaze.  
He responded quietly, "Can we go outside and talk this through?"  
She brushed past him as the elevator doors opened responding curtly, "Yes"


	14. Chapter 14

********* There is a reference in this Chapter to Matt Williams and my story BROTHER MATT **********

He followed her outside to a bench where they both sat quietly for several minutes.

She finally choked out the words, "He's dying Danny"  
Danny sat forward placing his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. His voice was soft and it shook with raw emotion, "I can't believe this is happening Kono…..I treated him so horribly today and I'll never forgive myself…if he dies…if our last words together are words of anger….I actually accused him of not respecting me, and look at how I treated him, how I disrespected him. Oh God Kono, I told him we're not partners….."

"Why Danny? What did he do to deserve that treatment from you?"  
"Nothing…..NOTHING he did deserved that"  
"Then why…..tell me why? Is this about Gabby?"  
She looked at Danny….she loved this man just as she loved Steve and Chin….he was family, they all were family.

His voice was so soft, "I love her Kono. I've known for some time now but I've been afraid to take it to the next level. I think a part of me doesn't want to admit that I'm finally over Rachel. But today when I saw her at the museum and I realized that I could have lost her…Oh God Kono… I've found happiness again and I can't lose it…..I can't lose her. Then Steve cuts the deal with McKnight and he wouldn't even discuss it with me…."

"Danny come on bro….you know he did what he felt he had to do. He knew she hadn't been hurt….if they had hurt her, you KNOW he would have approached McKnight differently, you know that. We needed answers and we needed them fast. You know how Steve's mind works and you know that all he was thinking about was how to find them and the treasure. If you're honest with yourself, you know that he did the right thing in cutting a deal. We had McKnight but we had no certainty that the others weren't going to run. He took a chance Danny and he was right. McKnight led us to them and we recovered every coin, every jewel"

"At what cost Kono…..I don't give a damn about coins and jewels and I know you don't either ….if we lose him, oh God….at what cost…."

"None of us could have known what was going to happen down there. Danny, you and Steve are my brothers. I love you both, just as I love Chin. I don't like to see you fight"

He reached his hand out and she took it into hers as he spoke. "I feel the same about you and I know Steve does as well. Take it from me though, you were raised as a single child...I was one of five and I got along well with my sisters, but Matty...I love that boy to death but most of the time, I could kill him! We were at each others' throats from the time he could talk, if not before! But I would do anything for him Kono, just as I would for Steve. I would die to protect him, or you or Chin...he's my brother and I love him, but we're not always going to agree"

"I understand. I'm just worried that if he doesn't make it...like you said, if those are your last words together..."  
"I'm worried about that too, so let's do everything we can to make sure those aren't my last words to him okay?"  
He smiled weakly at her and she reached over, kissed his cheek and embraced him.

She then asked, "How's Matt doing Danny? Are you still getting the monthly letters?"  
"Yeah, he's been good about sending those which surprises me because he hates to write"  
She chuckled, "It must be hard on him, on all of you to have to be separated like this"

"It is. Every time I get a letter...as wonderful as it is to see his writing, to read his words...it hurts. He's met a girl now and his job is going well. Because of the choices he made this is the way it has to be, but it hurts knowing that we can never see him or touch him again. It keeps getting harder and harder on my Mom though. Dad says she'll sit for hours looking at pictures of Matty...I need to go see her soon. Maybe when I'm suspended huh?" He grinned and squeezed her hand tightly.

"I'm sorry Danny, for Matt...and for yelling at you today..."  
"It's no problem Kono, like you said I was acting like an asshole. What do you say? Should we get back upstairs now?"  
"Yeah" As they stood still holding hands she added, "Danny, I'm really happy about you and Gabby, she's a great girl and she makes you happy. I like seeing you happy braugh"

They embraced and Danny spoke softly, "Thank you dear Kono"  
They turned and headed back to the hospital room to resume their wait.

**5050505050505050505050505050**

Fortunately they didn't have long to wait. Three hours after Steve had been taken into surgery, Doctor Seiler entered the room. Before anyone could say a word, he smile and stated, "He's doing fine, everything went well"  
The all sighed and sat at the table as the Doctor continued.  
"It wasn't additional waste we missed. We had missed a small piece of bone fragment from one of his fractures and it moved, piercing his kidney causing the blood in his urine as well as bleeding in the abdominal cavity. Unfortunately when a patient suffers paralysis he does not experience the symptom of pain which can help us in diagnosing a problem early on. Many paralyzed people die from infections because they can easily get past the danger point before they're even aware they're ill. I was able to remove the bone chip and patch the kidney with no problems. His blood pressure is still a bit low and his white cell count is elevated"

Kono asked, "What does it mean that his white cell count is elevated?"  
"White blood cells aid in battling infection and inflammation. His body's immune system has over-compensated and produced too many white blood cells. In most cases once the infection clears up the white cell count will return to normal. But prolonged or extremely high counts can cause a cardiovascular risk so we will carefully monitor his count and I'll also have him hooked up to a heart monitor as a precaution"

Danny looked up, "He had told me he was sick Doc"  
"Danny, you couldn't have known, and we were able to operate a short time after he told you that. You can all help by watching him very carefully over the next few days and if he is disoriented or you feel he is 'off' in any way let the Nurses know and they'll get in touch with me"

Chin then spoke, "So he's going to be okay Doc?"  
"He's still a very sick man and it will be touch and go for a while. We need to get the fever under control"  
Danny added, "So there are no signs of sepsis?"  
"His infection is severe but he is not showing any signs at all of organ failure which occurs with sepsis"  
Danny closed his eyes, "Oh thank God...thank you Doctor Seiler, for everything"

"You're welcome. He will be in recovery for the next three to four hours and once he's stabilized and breathing on his own we'll have him brought back here. If he's having any difficulty in recovery we'll transfer him to the ICU until I see him in the morning. You're more than welcome to wait for him here if you would like to, but it will be at least three hours. I'll have my pager with me and will rush back if he needs me during the night. Doctor Intemann is the physician on duty tonight and I'll talk to him before I leave. He'll pop in during the night to check on him. Were you planning on staying the night?"

"As long as you don't kick me out, I'm not going anywhere until he's out of the woods"  
"That's good, he's going to need you"  
The Doctor shook hands with them all and then the four decided to actually leave the hospital and go across the street to a little Irish pub for dinner and a drink or two. Danny left his cell number with the Nurse on call and the headed out. Kono watched, smiling softly at Danny as he and Gabby led the way hand in hand. Tears welled in her eyes as she sent out a silent prayer for Steve, for all of her beloved Ohana.

*********** MORE TO FOLLOW - I hope you're ejoying the story, please let me know ! - Thanks for reading and reviewing **************


	15. Chapter 15

They had a good dinner even though they were all still very somber and concerned about Steve.  
After eating, none of them wanted to leave for the night so they all returned and sat quietly in the room watching a movie as they waited for his return.

Danny called Rachel with an update but decided to wait on calling Catherine and MaryAnn until he had seen Steve.

He was wheeled into the room a little after ten o'clock and he was very groggy and was angrily rambling on about them not letting him make a phone call.

The orderlies moved aside so Danny could talk to him, "Steve, what's the problem here? Who do you need to call?"  
"I NEED TO CALL MY PARTNER DAMN IT"  
"HEY McGARRETT, LOOK AT ME! It's Danny, I'm right here partner...see, I'm right here!"  
"Danny? Danny?" He lifted his arm weakly and Danny grabbed it.  
"Yeah buddy, I'm right here. Chin and Kono are here too. I need you to behave yourself now and stop giving these guys a hard time. Let them get you into your bed alright?"

"Okay...I can do it"  
"NO STEVEN, LISTEN TO ME NOW! You're just going to lie still and they'll move you. They'll do all the work okay? Do you hear me buddy?"

"Uhh...hhuh...Danny...'m thirsty"  
"Let them get you in bed and then I'll get you some water. You need to get in bed first"  
"Okay...I'll do it...just give me a minute 'k?"  
Danny repeated himself, "Steve, Steve...I don't want you to do anything...just lay still partner. Close your eyes for me now"

The night Nurse, named Annie looked at Kono and Chin, "Don't worry. The anesthesia can make people groggy and confused. Couple that with his fever and the confusion can intensify"  
Kono asked, "What's his fever at now?"  
"Still high, 103.9. It should hopefully start to drop throughout the night"

Steve had quieted down and he was now mumbling incoherently under his breath. He remained calm while the orderlies transferred him onto the bed and then with Annie's help they moved all the tubes and bags over and then they covered him up to his chest. Once Annie had checked his vitals she left 5-0, plus Gabby to tend to Steve instructing them on how to administer his morphine drip if needed. She explained that the drip would only allow a certain amount to be dispensed each hour and to buzz her if they had any concerns or needed her for anything.

Kono and Gabby moved over to the bed and couch to lie down as Danny and Chin took the first shift tending to their fevered boss.  
Steve remained unconscious, softly mumbling for the next couple of hours. Chin had fallen asleep in a chair at bedside and Danny was wiping him down when suddenly Steve's eyes bolted open and he gasped. Danny grabbed his face with his hands, "Hey Steve, it's okay partner...it's Danno. You're okay Steve, you hear me?"

"Danny..." His voice was soft and shaky. "A nightmare Danny...had a nightmare"  
"I know babe, but you're safe. I've got you Steve, I've got you...you sleep now okay?"  
"Danny….didd yyou find the letters?..."  
"I know where they are but I'm not going to need them partner 'cause you're going to be just fine"  
"I'm sssoo tired Danno….."  
"I know, so you need to rest. I'm right here buddy and I need you to keep fighting. Do you need more pain meds?"  
"NO….NO…No more drugs Danno...promise me...no more drugs"  
"Okay Ssssshhhhh, I hear you…. sleep now Steve...sleep now..."  
He continued to say over and over as his eyes closed, "No more...drugs...please Danno...no more"

The letters….this was the second time Steve had mentioned the letters. After he had been tortured in North Korea by Wo-Fat he had told Danny about letters that he had written during his recory for each of his loved ones to receive if he were to die. The letters were in his safe at home and he had made Danny promise that he would get those letters delivered. He took the wet cloth and wiped the injured man's sweat-drenched head, face and neck as he softly said, "No partner, those letters are going to stay right where they are"

Doctor Intemann stopped in a short time later to check on the patient. They had inserted a portacath directly below Steve's clavicle while he was in surgery. This way they didn't need to wake him or stick him every time they wanted to check his white cell count. The Doctor checked his vitals and then drew a vial of blood from the portacath.  
He looked to Danny, "Has he been awake?"  
"A little bit. He was coherent. He doesn't want the drugs. He's an ex-Navy SEAL Doc and he tends to have nightmares when he's given drugs"  
"Was he complaining about pain at all?"  
"No, he calmed down right away and went back to sleep. How's his fever?"

"Better, it's down to 102.6. That's more than a full degree, that's very good. His blood pressure is still too low but his heart rate is good. I don't see any blood in his urine. I'd say things are looking up and sleep is the best thing for him. You ring the Nurses if you need anything and I'll stop back in a couple of hours"

"Good Doctor, thank you...thank you very much" Danny felt almost giddy at the news that Steve's temperature was dropping and as the Doctor left the room and the others continued to sleep he leaned in close to his partners ear and whispered, "You keep fighting Superman, Danno's right here"

**5050505050505050505050505050**

A couple of hours passed before Steve's eyes began to flutter open. He raised his hand to his face pulling at his nasal cannula.  
Danny reached up and grabbed his hand pulling it back from his face, "Don't touch babe. Leave it alone, it's helping you breath"  
His eyes focused his partner, "Danno…"  
Danny smiled down at him, "Hey partner, how do you feel?"  
"I'm thirsty...Danno" His voice was soft and raspy. Danny set down the damp cloth on the bed tray and poured a glass of water. He held the straw to Steve's lips, "Just take small sips Steve"

After several sips he stopped.  
"Are you good?"  
"Yeah Danno, thanks"  
Danny set the glass down and then took hold of Steve's hand.

"My belly hurts Danny...what happened?"  
"Well my friend you mean besides taking a 33 inch spear to your gut?"  
Steve grinned weakly, "Yeah, besides that"  
Danny told him the details of his injuries. He discussed the paralysis, the fractures, the infections and the surgery to his kidney.  
"I'm kind of a mess huh?"  
"You gave us all quite a scare partner and you need to rest, it's the best thing for you. We'll all be right here with you, I promise"

"Danny, I'm good…hey...about today"  
"We can talk about that later. You need to rest now buddy"  
"No…'m good. I heard you Danno….I heard you...I told you we were good, and I meant it."

"Steve, I'm so sorry about the things I said and for not trusting your judgement. You were right to offer McKnight a deal and you were right that I wasn't thinking clearly. My thoughts were more with Gabby than with solving the case and I apologize for questioning you"

"You don't have to ever apologize for being human Danny. We had a disagreement that's all it was. You know how much I respect you, don't you?"

"Of course I do and I've never respected anyone more in my life than I do you….other than my Dad of course"  
Steve smiled, "I don't mind taking second place to Bob Williams at all"  
"I'm so proud to be your partner Steve"  
"We're not just partners Danno, we're brothers and I love you"  
"I love you too buddy"

Steve swallowed hard and his grasp on Danny's hand tightened. "Hey Steve let me give you something for the pain okay?"  
"No drugs Danny….no drugs….." Steve's breathing was becoming more rapid as his pain intensified.  
"You don't need to be a tough guy here partner, you need the meds"  
"Don't want the….nnightmmares DDaanno" Steve's shoulder's arched in pain.  
With his other hand Danny reached up and opened the morphine drip releasing the cold liquids into Steve's veins.

"DDanny…..nnooo…..pplease no…." Tears of fear and frustration slipped from his eyes and Danny wiped them away with his finger.  
"It's okay Steve, I'm right here babe…..sleep now…..ssshhhhhhhhhh….sleep Steve, I've got you, ssshhhhhhhh"  
In moments the drugs took Steve under and Danny stood quietly at his side filled with relief that he and his brother had been able to talk things out. He smiled down at Steve as he literally felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Steve was going to live, he knew it.

**TBC... **


	16. Chapter 16

Over the next three days Steve's fever slowly decreased. He slept most of the time after conceding to allow Danny to give him the morphine as he deemed necessary. He continued to have no feeling below his waist but he had pain from the kidney surgery as well as from the lingering infection his body continued to battle. In his waking moments he was coherent and able to visit with the others but his body would become easily exhausted.

Danny stayed in touch with Catherine and MaryAnn giving them frequent updates and four days after the horrible event Danny allowed Gracie to come for a visit.

She arrived with Rachel mid-afternoon to find Steve napping and the three detectives sitting at the nearby table working on old case files.  
Danny looked up and put a finger to his lips hushing the excited nine year old. She grinned broadly and playfully tiptoed over to her Daddy and the others. They all giggled at her antics as Danny stood to greet her lifting her into an embrace. After kissing her Daddy she turned and addressed the others quietly, "Hi Auntie Kono, Uncle Chin"  
Kono smiled broadly, "Hello Gracie, how are you? I haven't seen you for a couple of weeks"  
"I'm good. Is Uncle Steve better today?"

Danny looked at her, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "He is doing better but he still needs to sleep a lot. Do you and your Mom want to go with me to the cafeteria and grab a snack while he's sleeping?"

"Uh huh, sure Danno"  
He set her down and she ran over to Chin and Kono giving them hugs and kisses before grabbing her Daddy's hand. "Can I give Uncle Steve a kiss Danno?"

"Let's wait until we get back okay. I don't want you to wake him up"  
"Okay. Can I see him before we go?"  
Danny lifted her into his arms and moved towards the bed. Danny watched his baby girl's reaction as she looked at her beloved 'Uncle'. His color was good now and she could not see and physical injuries. The blankets were up across his chest covering the tubing from the heart monitor. Other than the portacath in his upper chest, the nasal cannula and the multiple IV's snaking from his forearm he looked healthy, like he was just sleeping. Danny noticed the look of confusion on her face and he heard her sigh as she laid her head against his shoulder. As he felt her shift in his arms he turned and left the room with Rachel, still carrying Gracie.

**5050505050505050505050505050**

They walked quietly to the elevator and once inside he set her down. She reached out grasping both her parents' hands as the elevator took them to the main level. Once they had their tray with fruit, crackers and cheese and vanilla pudding with whipped cream they sat at a table by the window.  
Danny opened a carton of milk and handed it to Gracie. He then glanced at Rachel before he began, "Gracie, I know your Mom has told you that Uncle Steve was stabbed in the stomach right?"

"Uhh huh…but he's going to be okay right? He just looks like he's sleeping Danno"  
"He's doing a lot better Monkey and is going to be okay but there's something I need to tell you"  
As she nibbled on a strawberry she asked, "What is it Danno?"  
Danny took a deep breath before responding, "Sweetheart Steve is paralyzed. Do you know what that means?"

"Yes…it means he can't feel his legs or walk"  
"Yes, that's right. Now I want you to listen to me though. In your back there are a lot of nerves and tissues and when Steve was stabbed it caused a lot of swelling in those nerves and tissues. The Doctors think that MAYBE when the swelling goes down the paralysis will go away so it's very important that we think happy thoughts and stay positive because it's a very hard on Uncle Steve"

"Is Uncle Steve scared Danno?"  
"Yes honey, he is?"  
"I didn't think Uncle Steve ever got scared Danno?"  
Danny grinned at her knowing how much she idolized Steve. He was after all SuperSeal in her eyes, how could he possibly be afraid?  
"Of course he gets scared, everybody gets scared sometimes Monkey"  
Her mouth dropped open, "Not you Danno…."

"Oh Monkey, I get scared all time. So does your Mom and Chin and Kono….."  
She glanced at her Mom, "Really?"  
Rachel spoke, "Your Daddy is right sweetheart. Even the bravest people get scared. What makes them brave is that they still do their jobs and help people even when they're scared. Do you understand?"

"Sure. You mean like when Danno and Uncle Steve help to keep everyone safe from bad guys with guns"  
Rachel smiled at her, "Yes and now Uncle Steve is scared because he may not be able to walk again. And we are his friends and we love him so we need to try and make him feel less scared. Do you think we can do that?"

She turned to her Daddy. "Danno why does this make Uncle Steve scared. If his legs don't work anymore he'll be in a wheelchair right?"  
"Yes, but don't you think that would be scary?"  
She sat quietly for a few seconds before responding, "I guess so, but Danno…even if he can't walk he's still the same Uncle Steve right?"

He put his arm around her and she leaned into his body, "You are a very smart little girl Gracie Margaret. Uncle Steve is definitely the same Uncle Steve but he's scared because if he can never walk again he won't be able to do the same job with 5-0 anymore and he loves doing his job so that makes him very sad…and scared"

"Oh yeah…I get it"  
"So we need to try and help make Steve happy and help him to see that he can still do good things, that he can still help people even if he's in a wheelchair. He needs to know that we love him and that we will be here to help him. Do you understand?"

"Uh huh. I love Uncle Steve very much and I want to make him happy"  
"Every time you see him you make him happy honey. He loves you and all you need to do is visit with him and talk to him just like you always do and that will make him happy…I promise"

"Can we go see him now?"  
"Let's finish our snack and let him sleep a little longer first okay? Can you tell me what you did in school today? Did you turn in your book report on 'Little House on the Prairie'?"

They nibbled on their snacks and chatted about the trials and tribulations of the Ingalls family for about half an hour before heading back to Steve's room.

**5050505050505050505050505050**

When they re-entered the room Steve was still sleeping. Rachel moved to the table to visit with Chin and Kono as Danny took the anxious child to the bedside.

He set her on the bed at Steve's side and she placed a tiny hand on his forearm. She pointed to the portacath, "What's that for Danno?"  
"He has an infection and the Doctors need to take some of his blood every couple of hours to test it so they put that little thing under his skin"  
"What does it do?"  
"There is a needle in his vein so when they need to take blood they don't have to stick him every time, they can just take it with that"  
"Does it hurt him?"  
"No honey. It doesn't hurt him at all"

Steve's eyes fluttered open and a broad smile crossed his face, "Hello sweetheart"  
"Hi Uncle Steve, how do you feel?"  
"I'm so much better now that I see my little angel. I've missed you Gracie"  
"I've missed you too Uncle Steve. Did Danno tell you that I got a new kitten?"  
"Well no, he didn't. Tell me all about it" He smiled at the pig-tailed little girl. God he loved her as though she were his own.

Danny grinned as he looked at two of the most important people in the world to him talk. Steve's eyes beamed and Gracie…her face always lit up when she was with him and this time was no exception. She chatted on about 'Izzy' her new grey and white fur ball. A few minutes later Rachel joined them leaning down and kissing Steve's cheek, "How are you Steven?"  
"Much better Rachel. Thank you for coming and bringing my buddy here, I've missed her"  
"She's missed you too. Don't you let her wear you out too much though. I can bring her back when you're stronger"  
"Thanks Rachel, I'm good"

They visited for almost an hour before Danny noticed that Steve was tiring.  
"Gracie, I think Uncle Steve has had enough excitement for today"  
"I don't want to go Danno. Can I stay, please?"

Steve reached up and placed a hand on her face, stroking her cheek. "Gracie I'm so happy you came to see me but I am very tired and the Doctor will get pretty mad at me if I don't take a nap"

She smiled at him and then looked at her Mom, "Can we come back tomorrow Mommy?"  
"Yes, if Uncle Steve is up to it"  
"I would love to see you tomorrow Gracie, now can I have a kiss?"  
Danny helped lean her forward and she kissed his cheek as he pulled an arm around her.  
She whispered into ear, "I hope your legs get better Uncle Steve, I love you"  
He kissed her saying, "Thank you Gracie, I love you too"

Danny then picked her up and set her onto the ground. He squeezed Steve's shoulder, "I'll be right back partner, rest now"  
He turned and left the room not noticing the tears slipping from the SEALS closed eyes.


	17. Chapter 17

******* I'm sorry the updates have been slow but I've been very busy at work. As always, THANK YOU for reading and a special thanks to those who take the time to review. Please know that reviews give great motivation to keep writing! *******

**50505050505050505050505050**

When Danny returned to the room Steve was sleeping and a Nurse was checking his vitals. He moved to the end of the bed.  
"How's he doing?"  
"Everything looks good. His temperature is down to 101.6 so we're still seeing a good steady decrease. His vitals are good. I expect Doctor Seiler to be stopping by soon to see you"  
"Thank You Jeannie"  
She left the room and Danny moved over to join Chin and Kono.

"He sure loves Gracie doesn't he?"  
"Yes Kono, just as much as she loves him"  
"The visit will do him good braugh"  
Danny glanced over at the bed, "Yeah I'm sure it will. Looks like it wore him out though didn't it?"

Chin looked at his friend, "I went over there a couple minutes after you left the room and his eyes were closed and..."  
The pause was disconcerting as Danny urged him to continue, "And what Chin? Did he say something?"

"No, but he was crying Danny...there were tears on his cheeks. I got the vibe that he didn't want to talk so I walked away. I don't even think he knew I was there"

"Maybe it was too soon to bring her in. He needs to get his strength back"  
Kono added, "No Danny, don't second guess this at all. It's great for him to see her and you know that. Even though he's not saying much about it, he has to be thinking about his legs. He could easily get depressed about this Danny and anything we can do to take his mind off of the paralysis even for a short time is good"

He smiled at her but before he could say anything else Doctor Seiler entered the room and moved towards them.  
He spoke to them, "Sit, sit….." He sat next to Kono and smiled."I wanted to let you all know that his blood tests from this morning came back very positive. His white cell count is back in normal range and his fever is continuing to drop. I checked his kidney function with BUN and Creatinine tests and they are functioning at full capacity. His wounds are healing well. I can now say with a high degree of certainty that he will survive. The worst is over"

The smiles and sighs of relief came from all three and Danny then asked the question, "What about his legs Doc?"

"As you know, he's not yet showing any signs of movement or feeling but that is NOT unusual at this point. I have him scheduled for a scan tomorrow to check the extent of the swelling. You have to remain patient on this and work on keeping him optimistic. As he begins to feel better he'll have more time to think about it and worry about it. With everything he's been through it's very important that he not fall into a depression as that could lead to his overall health spiraling downward. Depression can make even the healthiest of people ill so if he needs medication to keep his emotions stable we'll do that. Tomorrow morning I'll also remove the portacath, heart monitor and his feeding tube. We'll start him out on a liquid diet and hopefully up him to soft foods in a day or two. Do you have any questions for me?"

Danny asked, "Yeah, as soon as he starts feeling better the first thing he's going to ask is when he can go home"

"For now Danny just tell him that it will be at least two more weeks. The more we can keep him calm and still, the quicker we can hopefully see improvement with the spine. Also we run a much higher risk of complications when there is paralysis. He felt pain with the kidney injury but if he begins to bleed or have issues elsewhere and we don't catch it right away he could be in grave danger. I want to make certain he is fully healed before I release him"

"Good, I agree. I'll let him know, it's just patience is not one of McGarrett's strongest traits"  
Chin laughed, "Doc, that's an understatement"  
"So I've heard. I told you, he has quite the reputation in this Hospital! The signs are good. He's doing very well. Do you have any questions at all?"

The three shook their heads no and after thanking Doctor Seiler he left them.  
They smiled at each other and Kono wiped tears from her eyes.  
"Hey Kono, no tears okay. This is good news! He's going to live!"

"It's GREAT news Danny. But I just can't help but worry about how he's going to handle the paralysis"  
"Whatever happens is beyond our control Kono. All we can do is be there for him and encourage him. Gracie said it to me best honey. She said that just because Steve is in a wheelchair, he's still the same Steve. We need to keep reminding him of that. He's alive Kono, that's all that matters, he's alive!"

Chin spoke softly, "Out of the mouths of babes"

They all stood and embraced and then decided that that Chin and Kono would head home for a good night's sleep. Danny expected Gabby at anytime and she would stay with him for a few hours.

**5050505050505050505050505050**

Gabby arrived and visited with Danny until about nine thirty before leaving for the night. Steve woke a little after ten as Danny was watching the local news coverage of a gang shooting earlier in the day that took the life of a young woman and her toddler.

"It's never going to stop is it Danno?"  
"Hey, you're awake. Yeah, I'll call Duke in the morning and get more details on this"  
"Everything we do Danny, is it worth it? In the end is it really worth it?"

"You know it is partner. We can't win every battle but we can win the war"  
A small smile crossed Steve's lips, " I don't know...I think..." His voice choked with emotion as he spoke the following words, "I think I've lost this battle Danno"

Tears slipped from both men's eyes and Steve lifted his arm over his face, covering his eyes...not wanting his partner to see his pain, his fear. Danny grabbed his other hand squeezing it tightly as he spoke through his tears, "This battle is far from over Steve. You can't quit, you can't give up hope. The Doc was in earlier while you were sleeping. Your tests came back on your kidneys and they're doing what they're supposed to be doing. Your fever's going down and your white count is good. He said your wounds are healing well. Buddy it's all good news, you just have to be more patient with the legs. The Doc has you scheduled for a scan tomorrow to check out the swelling. He's taking you off the heart monitor and the feeding tube tomorrow and you get to start a wonderfully appealing liquid diet"

Keeping his forearm across his eyes the SEAL spoke, "Danny...I'm scared..."  
"I know you are babe. I'm scared too, we all are...but you know that being in a wheelchair would not stop you from living a full life. It will just be a life different than what you've had and what you've envisioned. Steve...you're going to live and that's the greatest news because you've sure been scaring the shit out of us"

He slowly pulled his arm away from his face and brushed the tears away, "I'm sorry Danny"  
"Steve, with all we've been through over the last three years, you think you'd know by now that you never have to apologize to me...for how did you put it earlier...for being human"

"You know how I hate it when you throw my own words back at me" They both grinned and wiped their eyes as Steve added, "Thank you Danny. I love you partner"

"I love you too. Hey can you tell me what Gracie whispered to you before she left?"  
"She told me she loved me and that she hoped my legs would get better. You have an amazing daughter Danny. You're very lucky"  
"In more ways than one buddy. I'm lucky to have you too"  
"I think I'm the lucky one where that goes"

"She loves you so much Steve" He told Steve of her comment in the cafeteria, adding "I'm here for you partner and whatever fate deals you, I'll be here. You're still the same man whether your standing or sitting buddy. You're not alone and you won't ever be alone, I can promise you that"

"See how lucky I am..."  
Danny smiled down at him broadly stating, "Don't you ever forget it partner"  
Danny watched as Steve's eyes closed and again he gave in to his exhaustion.  
The tough as nails Jersey detective smiled down at his brother wishing he could take the pain and fear away. He then took a seat still holding Steve's hand and he too fell asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

The scan the next day unfortunately showed no major change in the swelling but after his talk with Danny, Steve did handle the news very well and over the next few days he began to feel much better.

By the end of the week he was back on solid foods and he was looking forward to homemade lasagna from Kono's kitchen that evening. What he didn't know was that Catherine would be coming with Kono when she returned. Cath had been able to get a special leave arranged and Commander McGarrett was none the wiser.

Gabby picked up Gracie and they arrived about four o'clock. Steve's wounds had recovered enough to where he could now sit in an upright position for several hours a day and that is how they found him with Chin and Danny sitting bedside.

Gracie began bouncing up and down with excitement, "Uncle Steve you're sitting up!" She raced into the room jumping into her Daddy's outstretched arms.  
"Yes, isn't it exciting Gracie! They let me sit up so I can eat Auntie Kono's lasagna without spilling all over myself"

As the words were leaving his mouth Kono appeared in the doorway carrying two large baking pans as she said, "Well in case you DO spill, I brought someone who won't mind cleaning up after you"  
With that introduction Catherine peeked around the doorframe.  
Steve smiled and spoke breathlessly, "Cath..."  
"Hey sailor" Chin went and took the bags of food and utensils from her and she moved to his side.

She leaned in and kissed him tenderly running her hands through his hair.  
His eyes watered as he pulled her to his chest, "What a wonderful surprise"  
The others all moved to the side of the room to give them a bit of privacy.  
She looked into his eyes, "Steve, what is it? Aren't you happy to see me?"  
"Oh course I'm happy. I'm just surprised. How did you arrange this? You didn't have any vacation time left"  
"I switched my time that I had off next month"  
"Cath, you needed that time off for your cousin's wedding in New York"  
"This is more important...YOU are more important. I talked to her, she understands"

"I don't know what to say"  
"Then don't say anything" She kissed him again, much more passionately as the others dished up the lasagna, garlic bread and salads on the table.

The dinner was fantastic and at one point Gracie pointed at Steve and began giggling as little girls are known to do.  
With a piece of bread in his hand he looked at the child, "What's so funny Miss Gracie?"  
She turned to Catherine and again pointed, "Catherine?"  
Cath moved to Steve and wetting a napkin she wiped tomato sauce from the corner of his mouth.

Steve turned to Gracie, "Well at least I didn't spill" to which she promptly replied, "Look again!"  
Catherine took the napkin and brushed several bread crumbs from the front of Steve's hospital gown.  
He pointed a finger at the giggling child, "Hey crumbs don't count"

Danny put his hand on his daughter's shoulder, "Cut him some slack Monkey, he's still sick so he's not at his best. Did you know that the Army trained him not to spill?"  
In unison Steve and Catherine called out, "It's the Navy Danny, the NAVY!"  
Everyone in the room laughed as Danny said, "Listen to that, in stereo even!"

They had a wonderful time visiting and since Catherine wanted to spend the night, Danny left with the others so he could spend some time with Gracie.

After hugs and kisses from everyone Danny helped lay Steve back down asking him quietly, "Do you need any pain meds?"  
"No, I'm good…..Thanks"  
Stepping back he added, "Okay don't you do anything crazy now partner. You call me if you need anything"  
"I will Danno, good night"

After they all left, Catherine went to use the bathroom only to find Steve sound asleep when she returned. She kissed his forehead and then sat at the bedside watching him sleep.

**5050505050505050505050505050**

Steve woke about four hours later turning his head towards Catherine who was reading a book.  
"I can't believe you're here"  
"Hey, you're awake. I'm just sorry I couldn't get here sooner"  
He looked at her seriously, "Cath…we've got to talk….."  
"What is it honey?"  
"Cath I've been thinking a lot the last few days….about us"  
"What about us?"  
"I should have called you. I owed that to you. I'm sorry"  
"Steve…..what are you saying? What's wrong?"

Steve's eyes watered and his lips quivered as he struggled to maintain his composure, "What's wrong? Cath…..look at me! I can't do this to you….I can't tie you…to life with me... in a wheelchair…..I'm sorry baby"

"Are you kidding me? Who do you think you're talking to? I love you Steve, don't you know that? We've been together for six years!" She could no longer hold back the tears. She cried out of hurt and pain, but mostly out of anger. Her voice rose as she continued, "How dare you treat me like this! I love YOU Steve, all of you! Am I worried about the fact that you may never walk again? Of course I am….but we'll deal with it. How could you ever even think that my love for you would change just because you can't walk. Oh God…I thought what we had together was special….."

"Cath what we have IS special" Tears fell from his eyes and he made no effort to conceal them. "Please understand...I love you, oh God I love you. That's why I can't do this to you. You deserve more, you deserve better..."

"Better? I deserve better? Isn't that something for me to decide Steve?" Before he could say anything she lifted her hand to stop him. "I want you to listen to me and don't say a word...I know you are sick and I know you are scared but you need to listen to me. I am here because I love you and I am worried about you. I'm here because YOU are the BEST thing that has ever happened to me and I cannot even imagine not having you in my life. I love you and if you never walk another step in your life, you will still be Steve McGarrett, the man I love and cherish. When Danny first called me and told me about what happened...when we thought you might not live...my God Steve, I was two thousand miles away. I couldn't see you or touch you. I couldn't eat or sleep, all I could think about was that I might never see you alive again and I have NEVER felt such despair or helplessness. I'm not going to say that I don't care if you ever walk again, but if this is the alternative to you dying, then I'll gratefully take it. Your legs don't make you who you are baby and whatever happens I am here for you just as I always have been. I am NOT going anywhere. I'm going to leave you for a few minutes now so you can think and when I come back we can talk"

"Cath..." Before he could say another word she kissed his lips and said, "Stop and think...I'll be back soon"

As soon as she exited the room Steve hit the Nurse's call button and a young lady appeared promptly.  
"Can I help you Steve?"  
"Yes...can you please get me the phone, I need to make a call"  
She did as asked and as she left the room he asked her to close the door. He then dialed Danny.


	19. Chapter 19

Danny was lying on his couch watching a movie after a very hyper Gracie had finally fallen asleep.  
He looked as the screen lit up, 'unknown caller', "Hello?"  
He heard whoever was on the other end sigh and he asked, "Steve, is that you?"

"Yeah..."  
"Partner, what's wrong?" Danny sat upright, running a hand through his hair.  
When he received no answer he again asked, "Steve...you're scaring me ...are you alright, where's Catherine?"

He spoke through tears, each word a struggle, "Danny...oh shit..."  
"Steve, relax now and take a deep breath. Let me talk to Catherine"  
"She's...nnot hhere"  
"What do you mean she's not there?"  
"I...I blew it...Danny"  
"Steven you're being very cryptic here. I need you first to tell me, are you okay?"  
"NO I'M...NNOT OKAYY!"  
"Okay...calm down partner. That was a stupid question. You said you blew it...what happened?"

His voice was so low that Danny could hardly hear him, "I told Catherine that it was over"  
"You did what? What in the hell were you thinking?...Don't answer that because it's obvious that you WERE NOT thinking!"

"Danny...I can't do this to her...I love her"  
"Hey moron, she loves you too!"  
"I can't condemn her to a life with me...with me tied to a wheelchair"

Realization hit him and Danny knew what this was truly about, "This isn't about your legs at all is it Steve?"  
The silence on the other end of the phone confirmed his suspicions, "Steve, I know you haven't talked to the Doctor about this because I've been with you every minute"

"Danny, she wants children more than anything in the world. I can't give her that anymore..."  
"Buddy you don't know that for sure...at least not yet. And don't you think that she should be the one making this decision, not you? She loves you babe. She couldn't get here to see you fast enough. I know you're worried about your scan tomorrow but don't push her away. You need her and I think I can safely say, she needs you too"

"I can't live like this Danno. I...I ccan't"  
"It's not going to be like this for much longer. The Doctor told me that after the scan results come in tomorrow we can discuss getting you home. Kono, Chin and Kamekona have been working hard to get your place ready for you. Steve, do you know where Catherine went?"

"She was kind of mad at me...she said she would be right back"  
"Listen to me will you? Apologize to her, she's a great lady and you're lucky to have her"  
"I know...I don't want tto...bbe a burden to you or Cath...or to anyone"  
"You're not a burden Steve. We love you... you will never be a burden"  
"Thank's Danno"  
"Anytime brother. Call again if you need to talk okay?"  
"Yeah...good night"

Danny hung up and immediately dialed Catherine's cell.  
"Hello"  
"Catherine, it's Danny. Are you alright?"

He heard her sniffle, "I'm fine Danny, did Steve call you?"  
"Yeah he did. Cath I should have told you more about his mental state before leaving you alone with him, I'm sorry"

"I was pretty rough on him. I'm angry Danny...I'm so angry. How dare he think I wouldn't stand by his side, that I wouldn't want to be with him simply because he can't walk"

"It's more than that Catherine. I'm just going to say it my dear, he's not feeling like much of a man right now and he knows how much you want a family. He's afraid Catherine. In his state of mind he's thinking that he loves you enough to let you go because he feels you can't be happy with him, that he can't satisfy you"

"Oh my God"  
"You hadn't thought about this? You do know Cath...he has NO feeling, NO function below his hips"  
"I know that Danny...I just didn't think about it because...it doesn't matter. I love Steve and I want to be with him. Oh, I feel so stupid..."

"You don't have to feel stupid. Just tell him Cath...just tell him. If you need me up there please call"  
"I will...Thank you Danny"

**5050505050505050505050505050**

She re-entered the room and approached him.  
She sat on the edge of the bed and he reached up placing his hand on her face, "Cath...I'm sorry. Can you please forgive me"

She took his hand in hers and kissed it. "I'm the one who's sorry...Danny called me"  
Steve closed his eyes as she continued, "Honey I'm glad he did, and I'm glad you called him. He is a very special friend and he loves you very much. Steve, please believe me. I love you with all my heart and I am here for you no matter how this turns out. I need you in my life"

"Cath...what about kids?"  
"What about them? At this point we don't know the extent of your damage. Who knows, we may still be able to have the...what is it, seven or eight children you want?" She grinned at him.

He returned the grin, "I'll be tickled with one right now sweetheart"  
"We can't worry about that now Steve. We don't know yet what cards we'll be dealt but as long as we have each other, we'll adjust...together. If we cannot have a biological child we'll adopt"

"What about sex Cath...what if I can't..."  
She interrupted him, "If you can't, you can't...like I said we'll adjust. Honey, As hard as it might be for you to believe, I didn't fall in love with your penis. I fell in love with the man you are, the man who has dedicated his life to helping others. The man who will continue to help others until the day he dies. You are an amazing man Steve and I am honored to be at your side every day. We may have never exchanged the vows, YET, but I promise I will be with you in sickness and in health as long as we both shall live. You're not alone sweetheart"

He smiled at her lovingly, "What have I done to deserve someone like you?"  
"By being someone like YOU"  
She leaned in and kissed him gently, softly. She laid out on the bed nestling into the crook of his arm. She held her hand against his chest, feeling the strong, steady beat and soon they were both asleep.

**5050505050505050505050505050**

Danny arrived at the hospital a little before ten o'clock after dropping Gracie off at school.  
Chin and Kono were going into the office today to play catch up and Steve's scan was scheduled at ten.

Steve was sitting up in bed and he and Cath were watching courtroom 'drama' on TV.  
"Hey Danno. Did you get Gracie off okay?"  
"Sure did" He grasped Steve's hand glad to feel a strong grip returned, "Did you sleep good?"  
Steve smiled, "Real good, after you two set me straight"  
Danny smiled broadly, "Well that's what friends are for. Have you seen the Doctor yet today?"  
"No, the Nurse said he'd stop in this afternoon after he gets the scan results"

"How are you feeling?"  
"Stronger every day partner. I can't wait to get out of here" He pointed to the TV, "How do people watch this garbage every day?"

They chatted for a few minutes before the orderlies came in and transferred him onto a gurney.  
Cath leaned down to kiss him saying softly, "I'll be here waiting. I love you"  
"I love you too"  
Danny squeezed his shoulder as he was wheeled by, "Good luck partner"  
"Thanks Danno"

************** Hope you're still enjoying - More to follow ****************


	20. Chapter 20

Once they were alone in the room Danny moved to Catherine and embraced her.  
"How are you doing?"  
"Oh Danny...it's so hard to watch him go through this" Tears slipped down her cheeks.  
They parted and Danny wiped her tears, "I know. Let's sit down and talk"

They poured themselves coffee and then moved to the nearby table.  
"Cath, Doctor Seiler mentioned to me that they could put Steve on medication if he became depressed. He scared me last night. You were here, what do you think?"

"Danny once we talked it out he seemed fine. You mentioned his mental state, how bad has it been?"

"He's actually done really well. In typical Steve fashion though he keeps everything inside and then it all bubbles over and he melts down. Through this whole thing though, he's only lost it a couple of times. I sure can tell you that he's holding up a lot better than I would be. He's terrified and I can't blame him"

"We both know what his reaction will be to being put on an anti-depressant. I honestly think that if we watch him carefully and keep him talking he can avoid that at this point. Maybe we should talk to him about the option though"

"No I don't think we should at this point. Knowing Steve, if he thinks we're going to insist on him taking medication and he doesn't feel he needs it, he may just clam up and stop talking all together"

She looked at him and smiled softly, "Yeah you're probably right. Let's just hope and pray that we all get some good news today"  
"Amen to that Cath"

**50505050505050505050505050**

There was tension in the air all day as they nervously awaited the scan results.  
Doctor Seiler arrived at about three thirty. Looking at the solemn faces he smiled, "It looks like you all could use a bit of good news"

Cath held Steve's hand as he spoke, "So do you have some?"  
"I do see progress Steve, definite progress. The swelling is beginning to subside and most importantly with that I can get a better look at the spinal column and as we originally thought there appears to be no damage to the cord at all"

Danny was grinning like a child at Christmas. Steve gulped and continued, "So Doc, what does this mean?"  
"Steve, it means that this is a very good sign. I've told you before that I can give you no guarantees. Spinal injuries are very unpredictable but all signs lead me to believe that you could very well regain full feeling and usage of your lower body"

With a look of shock and gratitude Steve spoke, "Oh my God...this is great news Doc...thank you"  
Cath leaned over and kissed him, "Oh baby, this is wonderful"  
Danny squeezed his partners shoulder as the Doctor continued, "Now you need to be aware of what to expect. The feeling will most likely return gradually, and it will start with a tingling sensation initiating in your hips and backside. The nerves travel down the full length of your legs and as they 'come back to life' it will be painful Steve"

"Doc...I'm looking forward to the pain!" Steve grinned as the Doctor chuckled.  
Danny added, "You think he's kidding Doc? This guy's a masochist, he embraces pain. He's an animal!"

"Well listen to me young man. There is no reason for you to be in excruciating pain, there are many medications I can put you on. I expect that you will be smart about this, okay?"  
Danny added, "And please remember Steven, I'm your Medical POA - so I'll see to it that you don't push things"  
The Doctor grinned, "Good. Do you have any questions for me Steve?"

"Yeah, when can I go home?"  
"With the results we got today, I would like to keep you here for a bit longer. I know it's not what you want to hear but keeping your spine still and stable is more important than ever now. The movement of relocating could cause additional irritation and the swelling to re-occur"

"Okay Doc, I understand. I don't know how to thank you for all you've done for me"  
"You're welcome...but I'm not going to be happy until I see you walking!"  
He moved to the bed and shook hands with Steve and Danny. He then embraced Cath and left the three excited and relieved friends to celebrate the good news.

As Steve talked to the Governor and then MaryAnn, Danny called Chin, Kono and Rachel with the updates.

**50505050505050505050505050**

Danny was manning the night shift three nights later when it happened.  
He woke to Steve's cries, which were an odd mixture of pain and pleasure.  
"DANNY...DANNY... OH GOD DANNY!"  
He was at his side in moments grabbing his hand and squeezing tightly, "I'm here Steve"  
"Danny...my legs hurt...OH THANK GOD THEY HURT!"

Both men were sobbing in relief as Danny leaned over and pushed the Nurse's call button.  
"Squeeze tight babe, try not to move too much alright...this is great partner, this is great!"  
Beads of sweat covered Steve's forehead and Danny wiped them with his free hand.  
Danny looked to the foot of the bed and tears of joy continued to fall as he watched the frantic movement of his partners' legs beneath the blankets.

Steve's movements began to worry him, "I know you hurt buddy but you've got to try and stay still. You don't want to hurt your back"  
"Oh God Danno! I can feel them! I can feel them!"  
"How bad is the pain Steve?"  
"It hurts like hell and I LOVE IT!"  
Danny laughed, "You're a crazy ass mother-fucker you know that don't you?"  
Steve smiled, "You've been telling me that for years buddy! And you love me!"  
"That I do partner"  
"Oh God Danny, I'm so fucking happy, I could kiss you man!"  
"Let's settle on a hug okay. I'm sure Cath, Kono, Gabby and Gracie will all give you plenty of sugar!"  
"Deal" Danny reached over and embraced his best friend as they waited for the Nurse to arrive.

She arrived a few minutes later joining the men in their excitement.  
"Steve, it is important that you try to stay still and I know that's not easy to do with the tingling. In case this happened during the night the Doctor prescribed an oral muscle relaxant and pain pill to tide you over until he can see you in the morning. So let me go get those for you, I'll be right back"

As she left the room Steve looked to Danny, "I don't want to take anything Danny. I want to feel the pain"  
"Hey don't be silly partner, you need the meds"

"Danny, no please" The pleading tone of Steve's voice showed the fear and anguish he had now been feeling for all these days as he continued, "Partner, the pain feels good...it's better than nothing"

Danny ran a hand through Steve's hair, "Hey relax man. The meds are going to help you sleep and keep still. They're just going to take the edge off, that's all. You're still going to feel your legs babe, they're just going to take the edge off"

"Promise Danny"  
"Yeah, I promise. And once you've relaxed a bit you can give Cath a call. I'm certain she'll be very happy with this wake-up call"

Once the meds began to kick in, but before they took him under Danny pulled out his cellphone and dialed Catherine, handing Steve the phone.

She answered sleepily, "Danny? Is he alright, what is it?"  
The question was answered by the very groggy voice of her lover, "Cath..."  
"Steve...are you okay?"  
"Oh Cath...I couldn't be better" His voice choked with emotion and his tears were again flowing freely as she responded, "Oh God Steve, do you have feeling?"

"Yes...yes I do"  
"I'll be right there baby. Oh Steve...I love you"  
"I love you too"  
He hung up the phone and handed it to Danny, "I'm tired Danny"  
"Close your eyes and sleep buddy. I'll be here when you wake. Everything is great partner, sleep now"  
Danny wasn't even sure if Steve heard his final words as the drugs quickly took him under.


	21. Chapter 21

The next three days were rough on all of them as Steve battled the pain which he described as his legs and groin area feeling as though they were on fire. The pains would cause muscle spasms which would add to his discomfort and as expected he battled with Danny every time his partner tried to get him to take the medication. He would eventually cave in and take the pills but never without a fight.

On the fourth day his pains were not as intense and the Doctor decided it was time to attempt to get him back on his feet.  
Steve wanted only Danny and Chin in the room during this so after embracing Catherine and Kono the ladies stepped out into the hallway to wait.

Chin and Danny stood to the side as Doctor Seiler spoke, "Are you ready Steve?"  
"Yes sir, absolutely"  
"Now we're going to do this very slowly, we've got all day if necessary"  
"All day? Where are we going?"

The Doctor smiled, "All the way to that window and back" He pointed to the window fifty feet from the bed.  
Steve smiled back, "A lofty goal Doc"

They all chuckled and the Doctor added, "You laugh young man but this will be a lot more difficult than you think. You've been off your feet for twelve days now and this will be painful"

"I'm ready Doc"  
"Okay, so let's sit you up first. Danny can you help me here please"

Danny moved in close, sliding an arm behind Steve's back.  
Slipping his arm around his partner's shoulder, Steve tried to pull himself up drawing a reprimand from Danny. "HEY Superman, slow it down"  
The Doctor reached across Steve's body grabbing his arm and helping Danny pull him upright.  
Steve moaned slightly as Doctor Seiler gently slid his legs over the edge of the bed.  
The Doctor stood back, allowing Chin to move to Steve's side. Chin smiled, "You okay boss?"  
"Yeah, I'm good Chin" The small Asian man knelt down placing slippers on Steve's feet as the Doctor moved all the tubing and bags preparing for the walk.

The Doctor looked at the men, "Now Steve your legs are going to be very weak, so you lean on these two"  
Danny and Chin took the Doctors cue and they lifted Steve up. The detectives held him firmly around the waist as Doctor Seiler placed his hands on the man's hips. "Steady now Steve. Are you dizzy?"  
"Yeah…."  
Danny and Chin held him tightly bearing his entire body weight as he shook uncontrollably.

Doctor Seiler placed a hand on the back of Steve's head pulling it down. "Steve listen to me carefully, don't talk. Close your eyes and take deep breaths. We're in no hurry" He rubbed the back of his patient's neck as Danny whispered encouragement to him.

"You're fine Steve, we've got you, deep breaths now. Relax and tell us when you're ready"  
"Dann...nny I ffeel ssick"  
"Do you gotta puke?"  
"Nno….gimme' a minnutte..."  
After several minutes Danny felt Steve's grasp on his shoulder loosen slightly, "Hey partner, you okay?"  
"Yeah...the window…..llooks a llong wways away"  
Danny grinned at him, "You're not so cocky anymore, huh?"  
Steve lifted his head and smiled weakly, "Let's do tthiss….."

The Doctor stood in front of them taking hold of the pole which held the tubing and bags, "Now I just want you to start shuffling forward Steve"  
With the help of Danny and Chin he followed the instructions stopping a short distance later.  
"Shit, I feel…. ssso wweak"  
Danny spoke softly, "Take your time, you're doing great babe"  
It took twenty minutes to reach the window and the Doctor then asked, "Do you think you can make it back?"  
Steve was sweating and it was clear that he was in pain as he responded, "Yeah...'m ggood"  
Danny added, "Don't push too hard Steve. We can try again later"  
Steve gritted his teeth, "Danno...'m good"  
Danny looked at the Doctor, rolled his eyes at the stubbornness of his partner and added, "Ok, whenever you're ready"

They stopped several times on the way back to the bed but Steve refused to be carried.  
Once they had him situated back in bed the Doctor offered pain medication, which of course...he refused.  
Steve did accept a drink of water as the Doctor spoke, "You did well Steve, I know you're going to be quite sore after this so please don't give your friends here too much grief and take the pain medication if you need it. You're due to take the muscle relaxant and I'm going to insist that you take that. Now unless you have any objections I will schedule surgery for you tomorrow to close the colostomy wound and take you off the catheter now that you're mobile. I'll want to monitor you for a couple of days but once you're bodily functions are regulated we can consider sending you home"

"That's great...how soon?"  
"Let's shoot for Friday. I can't see it happening before that though"  
"Okay Doc"  
"I'll have one of the Nurses bring in your medication. Have you changed your mind on the pain medication?"  
"No...no pain meds...I'm fine"  
"Would you like me to send the ladies back in?"  
"Yes, please. Thank You"  
"You're welcome. I'll stop up later to check on you"

Within the hour Steve began experiencing muscle spasms in his lower back and rear end and he finally gave in, taking the pain pill which promptly put him under.


	22. Chapter 22

******* HERE IS THE FINAL CHAPTER- Thank you all for reading and please let me know what you think. I appreciate every review very much ! A special THANK YOU to Shirik again for the inspiration for this story, I hope you enjoyed where I went with your idea ! *******

**5050505050505050505050505050**

He handled the procedure the next day well and slept most of the day.  
He woke in the middle of the night and Danny helped him to the restroom. As they were making their way back to the bed Steve suddenly doubled over in pain, as again he was wracked with muscle spasms.

Danny held him tightly as he talked, "Steve...relax babe...ride it out"  
Steve spoke haltingly through the pain, "Oh sshitt itt...hhhurts...Daanno"  
His body was shaking as Danny continued, "You're about ten steps from the bed, can you make it?"  
"Yeeaah..."  
"Just shuffle your feet partner. I'd carry you but I think that would hurt you even more"  
"I'm...ookay..."  
Danny smirked, "Sure you are Superman. Come on, let's get you back to bed"  
"Daanny...Thank yyou"  
"For what?"  
"For bbeing here..."  
"Don't be silly, where else would I be?"  
"I ccould think of...a llot oof pplaces..."  
"Stop talking you big goof. You ready?"  
"Uhh...huh"

**5050505050505050505050505050**

The hospital arranged for Steve to be brought home via ambulance to keep the movement and pain as minimal as possible.

Catherine had to leave two days after he returned home and Danny moved into the McGarrett home to take over the day to day care with the 5-0 team working out of the home. Fortunately, Governor Denning had refused to punish Danny in any way for his attack on George Kaneko.

Steve's recovery went well but it wasn't fast enough for the SEAL. He had four weeks of limited movement and another four weeks before Doctor Seiler would even allow him to set foot in 5-0 Headquarters. Then he was confined to desk work only another three weeks. He was undergoing daily physical therapy and only needed an occasional pain pill. He had stopped taking the muscle relaxants two weeks ago.

The Friday morning before he was due back on regular duty, he called in informing Danny that he would be late coming in.  
"Where do you gotta go? Is everything okay?"  
"I just have to go somewhere with Doctor Seiler, everything's okay partner. I promise. I'll tell you all about it when I get in"

**5050505050505050505050505050**

Half an hour later, Steve and Doctor Blaine Seiler were knocking on the front door of Maria McKnight's home.  
She opened the door and after introductions she allowed the men inside offering them coffee.  
As they sat in the tiny, cluttered living room Steve glanced at the two little boys, Joey and Miles play in the corner of the room with wrestling figurines as their baby sister clapped and giggled, watching their every move.

Steve turned to Maria, "Ma'am, when I made the agreement with your husband in return for information on his accomplices he told me about Joey and his recent diagnosis of Muscular Dystrophy. I told him that I would see if there was anything I could do for your son to help with his medical treatment. Doctor Seiler works at Hawaii General Hospital and he has some news for you"

"Mrs. McKnight, Commander McGarrett has told me the little information he knows, and I would like to offer my services and that of the Hospital to your son, free of charge. I will provide whatever care, medications and equipment Joey needs for the remainder of his life and the Hospital Administration has agreed to do the same for any hospitalization's he may require"

"Oh my God" She began to cry as the Doctor reached out to take her hand in his. She turned to Steve, "I heard that one of your men was severely injured. Is he okay?"

Steve grinned, "That would be me Ma'am. And I'm fine, fully recovered"  
She wiped her tears, "Why? Why are you doing this for us?"  
"Your husband made a mistake Mrs. McKnight….."  
She interrupted him, "Call me Maria, please Commander"

He continued, "As long as you call me Steve. Maria, I truly believe that Joseph is a good man who made a horrible mistake. Thankfully no one died but he did participate in an armed robbery and he needs to pay for that and serve his time but I had given him my word that I would help Joey"

"But that was before you were injured so horribly"  
"He's an innocent child, you're all victims in this. The son should not pay for the sins of the Father. I'm a man of my word Maria. Joseph kept up his end of the bargain and I'm doing the same. There's one other thing Maria and if you're uncomfortable with this just tell me no and I will understand"

"What is it Steve?"  
"Your kids are going to be without their Father for seven years. That's a lifetime to a child and as much as I believe that Joseph needs to pay, I hope that you will allow me and my team to help. I would like us to serve like 'big brothers and a big sister' for your kids. A couple times a month I'd like to take them somewhere, make them feel special"

Tears were streaming down her face as she said, "Commander McGarrett, you are an angel on earth"

The men remained for about an hour visiting and the Doctor briefly examined little Joey. They left after hugs and an agreement to talk again soon.

Once back at Headquarters Steve gave his team all the details.  
He looked at their smiling faces, "So you guys are all okay with this?"

Chin and Kono both responded yes and Steve turned to Danny, "Danno?"  
The blonde detective grinned, "You're on hell of a man McGarrett, a hell of a man"

**THE END**

**************** I hope you all enjoyed it ! Thanks for reading and reviewing ! *****************


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